Where I Belong
by Dreaming Wide Awake
Summary: What if Ariel and Eric hadn't met in the way they originally did in the movie/musical? What if, one day, they just happened to meet up on the surface by a twist of fate? Well, let's see what happens if perhaps maybe that was the way of things. Completed!
1. Where I Belong

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 1  
** Chapter Title:** "Where I Belong"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Honestly!

* * *

"Isn't the day just gorgeous, Flounder?" A female voice sighed.

High in the sky, the sun was shining brightly, casting its beautiful rays of light onto the surface of the Atlantic Ocean below. The shimmering water gently rolled in waves to the shore, of which was not too far away, frothing the sparkling ocean water ever-so-slightly in the process.

"I've only ever heard about this place before in books and stories," the voice continued. "But seeing it is just absolutely breath-taking..."

"Ariel, I-I don't know about this. I don't think we should be up here..." Flounder's timid voice sounded in response.

"Oh, don't be such a guppy, Flounder," Ariel teased, pulling slightly at his fins.

"I am not a guppy!" Flounder protested, wriggling away. "I'm just as brave as you are!"

Ariel glanced at Flounder with an _"Are you kidding me_?" expression, but, not wanting to ruin her blissful mood by fighting with him, she let it pass without further argument.

The young mermaid took a few deep breaths and relaxed her muscles, shifting onto her back. She splashed her fins in the water playfully as she adjusted, intentionally splattering Flounder as she did so. She laughed lightly at the grimace of annoyance on his face as she shifted a little more, so that her view was now of the sea, in all its glory, seemingly endless beyond the horizon.

"It's just... I just... have this feeling. It's something I can't really explain. I don't know, it just feels so right here...like I'm _meant _to be here and not under the sea..." she said to no one in particular, closing her eyes slowly.

Suddenly, a splash sounded somewhere in the distance, unheard by Ariel, causing Flounder to turn sharply.

"What was that?"

Ariel glanced over to him, barely moving, "What was what?"

"I heard something..."

Ariel sighed, "I'm sure it's just your imagination, Flounder."

* * *

Frustrated, young Prince Eric padded through the warm sand. He was longing to get away from the palace, desperate to forget he was a prince for just one moment

_It's just... no one understands me, _he thought bitterly. _No one_.

See, lately, Grimsby had been introducing him to many princesses from foreign lands with a special sort of _gleam _in his eyes, so to speak. Indeed, it had been made very clear that he was trying to find Eric a wife.

Eric flung himself down on the beach at the mere mention of a wife, bringing his knees up to his chest. Deep in thought, he turned slightly and took up a handful of sand into his palm and opened his hand, letting the grains of the warm sand filter through his fingers.

_A wife? _

Grimsby obviously didn't understand that taking princesses swimming, or even out on a ship for that matter, was a joke. Most didn't want to even get anywhere near water. And what use was that kind of a girl to him? He loved the sea more than anything or anyone else in the world.

All he needed a girl who was as wild and care-free as the ocean itself. Someone with an adventurous soul and a heart, like his own, that belonged to the sea.  
_  
But where ever will I find a girl like that?_

He sighed again, defeated, and peeled off shirt and boots, tossing them both aside. He took a deep breath and dove into the cool ocean water, breaking through the surface with a new sense of contentment.

It was true: this was right where he belonged.

He took a relaxed breath and gazed at the sea out ahead as he waded in the water. It was just so pretty here...

Suddenly, some sort of vibrant object caught his attention in his peripheral vision. He shifted his body and squinted against the harsh glare of the sun to get a better look, but all he could see was red. And a lot of it.

He took another deep breath and dove into the water again, his curiosity getting the better of him...

* * *

Ariel rested her head on her hands, now floating on her stomach. She was on her own now, for Flounder had since left for some reason or another. Honestly, Ariel hadn't really been paying that much attention when he explained where he was going. But that didn't matter to her now, for she was gazing at the shore intently, swallowed up by her own daydreams.

What was beyond that sand and shore? Were there... humans? Humans! Oh, how she longed to see one or meet one!

_Splash!_

A figure then surfaced right in front of Ariel, startling her from her daydream.

"Ahhh!" Both Eric and Ariel screamed at the same time.

Ariel scrambled to hide her fins within the water as she stared at the boy that seemed to have appeared out of no where.

_Wow! _Ariel thought incredulously as she marveled the human in front of her. _Talk about being careful what you wish for!_

She then eyed him contently, finding herself completely paralyzed as she stared at the most beautiful human face she had _ever _seen. Well, it was the only human face she had ever seen.

It was a man, obviously, probably about the same age as her, with piercing blue eyes almost as blue as the sea, if she did say so herself. He also had a very handsome face that was probably tan from constant exposure to the sun and messy black hair to go along with it.

Eric, too, found himself unable to move as he gazed at the woman in front of him. She had vibrant red hair like none other and glimmering blue eyes.

After a few more moments of silent stares, Ariel, finally gaining control of her body, slowly swam back away from the man, unsure of what to do next.

"Hey, don't be scared! I don't bite," he said with a chuckle. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before," he continued gently, reaching his arm forward to her.

Ariel watched closely as he gave her a warm smile and moved nearer to her. He then reached out and grasped her arm cautiously.

"I- I have to go," Ariel managed to stutter. As much as she really, _really _didn't want to, she had to stop his before things got too far.

"No! Don't go..." the mysterious man said quickly. "Or don't go without at least telling me your name."

"My name?"

He nodded.

"My name is A-Ariel," she said.

"Ariel... Ariel... Hey! That's really pretty!" he said, trying her name out a few times. "I'm Eric."

"It's nice to meet you, Eric," she said politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," he responded.

Neither Ariel nor Eric spoke in the moments that followed.

"You know," Eric said, breaking the silence. "You are really beautiful, Ariel," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. She watched, giggling, as he blushed bright red.

"You're pretty cute yourself," Ariel commented, feeling her cheeks burning at her comment, too.

"Well, hey, what can I say?" he chuckled.

He began to move his hand again, which had been long forgotten on her arm, up to her hair. He brushed a few stray locks away from her face, running his fingers through her long, soft locks and then down the side of her face, making a trail with the back of his hand from her ear to her lips.

_Snap out of it! Things had already gone too far!_ She thought desperately as a wave of pleasure shot up her spine.

He was a human. She was a mermaid. They weren't supposed to interact this closely, even if he was _insanely _handsome and had just made her feel absolutely wonderful. Oh, if her father ever found out!

Regretfully, she snapped back away from his touch. "I'm really, really sorry, but I really have got to get home," she uttered hastily. "It was great to meet you, Eric!"

"Wait! Ariel! When will I see you again?" Eric inquired, taking both of her hands in his and desperately searching her eyes for an answer.

"I'm not sure," she responded truthfully. "But when the time comes, you'll know."

"What? How-?" he started. But he was cut off as she swam forward, taking an enormous dive into the sea and rapidly swam completely out of his sight.

Wait a second, how was that even possible? Wasn't the shore back the other way?

Unless... it couldn't be... could it?

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow! It's been about a year and a half-ish since the last time I posted a story! Amazing, right? It actually feels _really _good to get back in the habit of writing and posting and all that jazz...**

** Anyway, please, please review (no flames, thanks) and try not to be too hard on me! **

**Dreaming Wide Awake**

**P.S. Yes, I revised this chapter and author's note quite a bit since the last time you all probably saw it. The explanations I originally put in here turned out to have been very unnecessary to say the least, especially considering the story completely changed, in a good way, though, from what I had intended in the beginning of all of this. It has changed for the better. Plus, I'm SO much happier with this version of the chapter. I hope you all are, too. :)  
**


	2. Eric's Song

**Basic Story Info.**  
  
** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 2  
**Chapter Title:** "Eric's Song"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer**: I own nothing. Honestly. 

* * *

**Chapter 2: Eric's Song**

Mid-afternoon, about a week and a half later, the sun was high in the sky, shining brightly, warming the sand and sea below it with bright rays of sunlight. 

Very much enjoying the sand and sun, Prince Eric strolled leisurely along through the surf, scanning the ocean front. A brief time later, he came across what he was looking for: a rather large rock that was a little ways into the ocean. 

Climbing out of the water, of which he had to swim through to reach it, he hoisted himself up onto the rock with caution. He then sat down on the smooth surface of the object, happy to finally be in a place where he would be safe to dwell in his thoughts.

_Ariel_... he thought immediately. She was all he could think about the past week and a half. She was the one who plagued his mind every hour of everyday, bombarding him with questions.

He desperately wondered where she had gone and when he would see her again...

Of course, she was a naturally gorgeous woman and the first in a while that he had seen openly comfortable in water, he reflected. It seemed almost natural for Ariel out there in the ocean; it was almost like she swam with a pair of fins or something. 

And her hair... it had been soft and smooth; he loved the way it felt when he ran his fingers through those stubbornly red locks of hers. And her skin... it was flawless! She had a complexion as clear as water itself. 

He chuckled to himself softly and ran his hand through his own black hair, more or less surprised with himself. He supposed it was the fact that no other girl had ever invaded his mind like Ariel did. He had longed to see no other in the way that he did Ariel.

Sighing, he glanced down at his recorder, of which had been long forgotten in his hand for quite some time... until now.

He examined it for a few moments before bringing it up to his mouth. He took a deep breath and began playing a tune, a tune that just happened to pop up in his mind right then and there.

He was pretty surprised at his own abilities as he continued playing the little melody; he hadn't even played it or heard anything like it before, but it just felt so right... 

* * *

Little did Eric know, Ariel was right beside him, leaning up against the shade of the cool rock with her fins submerged in the water, listening carefully to his little tune. 

_No one knows I'm was here right now,_ she marveled as the song played on.

See, she was only up here alone because she had been unable to find Flounder this morning (otherwise she would've brought him with her!) and all of her sisters, of which she probably wouldn't have considered bringing up anyway, were all otherwise absorbed with themselves and their social engagements, which apparently didn't include Ariel. 

But that was OK, she didn't want anyone to know about Eric except her. It was her secret... all hers... 

And besides, the way she saw it, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. 

Snapping back out of her thoughts, she continued to wade quietly in the water as she listened to him play his song on some sort of black stick-like thing.

Finally, she couldn't resist any longer; she began to quietly singing along the tune with the instrument in a series of "ahs," unable to let a perfectly good singing opportunity pass her by.

Now, if only it had some words for her to sing along with...

* * *

Eric hesitated slightly as he heard another voice accompanying his recorder. He didn't stop playing, of course, because he was afraid he was afraid he'd scare it off, but he still wondered who/what it was, nonetheless.

Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. He pulled the instrument away from his lips, desperately trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

"Hello?" he called out, searching the ocean waters for something, anything that would clue him in to what was happening around him.

"Hello," a voice sounded, somewhat timidly in response. "Down here!"

He felt a slight pang of excitement in his stomach... he really hoped it was who he thought it was...

Eric fell forward on his knees, peering over the side of the rock to see, sure enough, his beautiful Ariel staring back at him. 

He began to felt giddy as his stomach somersaulted, ecstatic to see the girl that had not left his mind since they had met some days earlier. It truly was the moment he had been waiting for for almost a week and a half.

"Ariel! Hi!" he said, feeling his being flood with joy.

"Your song was really pretty," she commented, smiling.

"Oh, that?" he said, feeling a blush creep up to his cheeks. "It's just a little... a little something I came up with, I guess," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. "But I'm glad you liked it." 

"No... I'm pretty sure I _loved_ it," she giggled. "And, just in case you were wondering... that was me singing along with you, " she added. 

"Ah," he smiled. "In that case, I feel honored."

"Why...?" she inquired, unsure of where this was heading.

"I'm honored," he continued. "To have had such a beautiful voice accompany my petty little creation."

_Ugh_, he mentally slapped himself. _That was SO cheesy!_

"Well, thank you," she said, her cheeks flushing. "The honor is all mine."

"Hey, anytime," he laughed, unable to suppress the grin that was creeping across his face.

"Say, what _is_ that thing you're holding anyway?" she asked, intrigued, while pointing to his recorder.

"This?" he questioned, holding it up. 

She nodded. "Yeah. I've never seen _anything_ like it before!" she marveled.

He furrowed his eyebrows together. "Really? You've never seen one of these before?"

"No..."

"Oh, then let me explain. This... is called a recorder. You hold it like this just blow in here and... well... you make music. See? Like so," he demonstrated, repeating the first few phrases of his melody. "So, you see? Each time you move your fingers over one of these, a different note is played," he concluded. 

"Wooww!" she goggled. 

"You wanna try?" He offered with a warm smile, extending the recorder to her.

She nodded vigorously. "Sure!"

He carefully threw it downwards to her without a second thought, where she caught it perfectly in her hands. "Nice catch," he remarked. 

"Thanks," she replied politely.

He continued to observe her carefully as she brought it up to her lips, almost tentatively, but still glowing with excitement. She put her fingers on two random holes and blew into the proper opening, hard. 

A loud squelching sound sounded as she blew into the recorder, stunning her. Jolted, she dropped the recorder directly into the water, looking genuinely mortified. 

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

He laughed, "No, no! Not at all!"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "But it didn't sound as good as when you played it..."

"Hey, no one ever said you'd get it on your first time," he said. "And plus, I've been playing for years."

"Well, true," she remarked, shrugging.

"But that's beside the point. It's just a learning experience, yes? You can see now that some sounds just don't go together well when you play them. It's just a matter of experimentation to find the right combination of these sounds to form a song."

"But... oh my gosh! Your recorder in the water... won't it be ruined?" she asked, desperate to fish the recorder out of the water. "I'm so sorry!"

"No worries," he shrugged. "It's water-proof. Besides, I have fifteen more just like it, sixteen in total; one for each of my birthdays, that is," he explained. "Maybe I could show you sometime...?"

"Maybe... I'd really like that, Eric," she said, finally enclosing her fingers around the instrument and pulling it back up to the surface. "I got it!" she exclaimed, showing him the recorder she pulled fresh out of the water. Luckily, it hadn't sustained any major damage; it was just spattered here and there with some sand.

He watched her once more as she fell quiet, examining the recorder again closely, running her fingers along the soft surface of the instrument. 

"Ariel... if you want ... you can keep it..." he suggested. "I really wouldn't mind."

Ariel was ecstatic. "Really?"

"Really, really."

"Oh, thank you so much, Eric!" she exclaimed, holding the recorder close to her. "You don't know how much this means to me!"

"It's really not a problem at all," he smiled.

"I will cherish it forever!" she vowed. 

A few moments of awkward silence followed.

"So, Ariel..." he said, attempting to change the topic. "Why did you, um, decide to come up to the shore today, anyway?"

"To see you, of course," she responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

"But h-how did you know where to find me?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I just came here and hoped that I would be lucky and would be find you somewhere," she shrugged.

"Ah, I see... but... um... _where_ did you come from?" he inquired.

This was a question that was tearing him up inside. Ever since she left him by diving right into the sea, he had wondered where she had gone.

"Home?" she tried.

"I would've never guessed," he replied sarcastically. "But seriously, though... where _are_ you from?"

She began to stutter, caught off guard. She was totally unaware of how to respond. Suddenly, catching a glimpse over her shoulder, she noticed that the sun was slowly setting, causing her to be even more alarmed. "I- uh, um, f-from... oh my gosh! It's sunset! I-I have to go."

Eric automatically knew that he had said something wrong. "I'm sorry! You don't have to tell me, but please, don't go! Stay... just a little longer," he pleaded.

"I want to stay, I really do, Eric, but I really have got to get going... I'm sorry."

"Ok, that's ok..." he said, disappointment apparent in his voice. "But I'll see you again sometime soon, right?"

"Of course," she said. "I promise!"

Eric breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok... I'll, um, talk to you later...?"

"Yes... you can count on it... Well, until we meet again..." she said before flashing him a smile that made his heart flutter. 

"Oh! I almost forgot!" she smiled mischievously.

She wiggled her index finger at him, "Lean down here for a moment, will you?" 

He leaned over the edge of the rock slightly.

"Closer... closer..." she instructed.

Finally, he was almost face-to-face with her.

She leaned forward to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That was for the recorder. Thanks," she whispered, cheeks burning.

"Um, don't mention it..." he said, bringing his hand up to where she had kissed him, suddenly feeling very dizzy.

He then caught her eye again as he reluctantly pulled back, regaining his balance on the rock.

It was one of those moments where their eyes locked and everything stopped moving; a moment when nothing seemed to matter anymore and reality fell away and shattered into pieces as they stared into each other's eyes for moments on end...

That is, until Ariel broke the connection, anxious to get back home before she was missed. She grinned warmly and took a deep breath and turned, diving back into the clear, blue sea. 

In the process, she intentionally flashed Eric her bright green scales and fins before disappearing from his line of sight completely. 

Eric's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat; he almost fell off of the rock as the realization set in.

_Of course! She was a mermaid!!_

His mind racing, he suddenly realized that things, particularly concerning Ariel, were now beginning to make a whole heck of a lot more sense to him.

_This is unbelievable! _Eric marveled. _Absolutely amazing! _

* * *

**So, there was Chapter 2! I hope you enjoyed it! :)  
**

**Ok, so, first, I'd like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers! You guys seriously rock! Thanks SO much! **

**And next, I wanted to apologize for the delayed update on my part, but school and sickness has been kicking my butt this week. Seriously.  
**

**Well, anyway, hopefully this chapter can hold you over for a week until spring break, when I will have plenty more time to update. :)  
**

** Up next: Ariel and Eric both dwell in their own thoughts about the other... **

**Dreaming Wide Awake  
**


	3. Back to Reality

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 3  
** Chapter Title:** "Back to Reality"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Enjoy! :)  
**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Back to Reality**

Flustered and anxious, Ariel made her way back home to Atlantica. Her head was racing at a million miles a minute, trying to make some sense out of what had happened up on the shore between her and Eric.

She thought about the whirlwind of feelings she had experienced just moments earlier; feelings that genuinely confused her.

It seemed as if her heart had leapt at every little thing he had said and done and her stomach had done back-flips every time he merely looked at her. It was like her whole world had melted away up there; like the two of them had been the only two creatures on Earth.

And, without even thinking, she had even shown him her tail! She had revealed the existence of her people to a human she barely knew without any second thoughts. What on Earth had gotten into her? Although, even though a little doubt plagued her, she somehow had a feeling that her secret would be safe with him.

Smiling, she glanced down at the recorder (Eric's recorder!!) that she held in her hand, thinking of how he had so generously allowed her to keep it. Maybe it was a sign of some sort! A message! Maybe he... he...

_Likes you? _She thought. W_ouldn't that be wonderful! But, oh, what am I thinking? He was just being nice... it didn't mean anything._

The glimmering gold gates of the capital city were quickly making their way into Ariel's sight, pulling her away from her thoughts. She sighed with relief as they drew nearer and nearer, and judging by her surroundings, it looked as if she had just narrowly missed curfew, hopefully sparing her from any major explanations as to where she had been.

"Ariel! Where in the name of Poseidon have you been?" a deep voice bellowed. "Do you know how late it is?"

Or not.

"I l-lost track of time, Daddy," she explained truthfully, while hiding her recorder behind her back. "Time flies when you're having fun, you know."

"Do you know how worried we were? We thought something serious had happened!" Triton said, swimming over to Ariel and wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. It won't ever happen again," she said, struggling to hide the instrument from her father at the same time.

"It's ok, I forgive you... Promise me that you'll be more careful? I just don't like you tearing off like that."

"I promise."

Triton furrowed his eyebrows together as he pulled back from his embrace, eyeing his daughter. "Your face is as red as your hair, my daughter. ... Have you gone up to the surface again?" he asked, his voice accusative.

"No, no, no, no," Ariel said quickly. "I'm just really warm from swimming back here so quickly! I swear."

With a final disapproving glance, Triton nodded, wrapping his arm around Ariel's shoulders. "Very well, then. Let's get back home, sweetheart."

_Phew, that was a close call, _Ariel thought as the two of them headed for the castle.

* * *

With the sun hanging low in the horizon, Eric slowly trudged out of the ocean water, setting off towards the castle before Carlotta or Grimsby became too worried of his whereabouts. He knew that a stern lecture from the both of them was in store as soon as he stepped foot in the castle, but, quite frankly, he didn't care.

The only thing he seemed capable of thinking or caring about at the moment was Ariel... Ariel the _mermaid_!

Her beautiful green scales and the fins that he had seen only briefly had been like a missing puzzle piece to understanding this mysterious woman.

But there was still so much he didn't know about her; things that he was determined to find out... if and when they met again.

Still, nonetheless, everything about her, from her vibrant hair, to her fins, was extraordinary. There weren't even any words that could possibly describe what he felt for her, especially when she had kissed him on the cheek.

He felt a familiar blush creep up his neck and spread to his cheeks as he thought about her gesture of thankfulness. He brought his hand up to where her lips had touched his skin, smiling as he relived the memory in his head.

Chuckling, Eric ran his hand through his hair again. There was just something about her, something he couldn't define or even begin to explain.

His thoughts subsiding, he sighed, taking the final steps up to the entrance of the castle.

He stopped right before the door and looked back once more to the sea, savoring the quiet environment while it lasted, for when he took those few steps into the castle, all the peace would be gone, replaced by the regular chaos of a palace.

He thought of Ariel and their encounter once more to lighten his mood, replacing his previous grimace with broad smile before swinging the grand doors to the palace open and heading inside.

* * *

"Goodnight, Daddy," Ariel beckoned, swimming off to her room. She quietly opened the door, and made her way inside. She smiled dreamily, drifting back to her thoughts of Eric, and hummed a little tune as she flipped on her lights.

"Ahh!" she cried out, startled. She was met by the intent glances of her six other sisters. "I didn't see you guys there!"

"Of course you didn't, silly," Adella said.

"Um, why were you waiting in the dark...?" Ariel questioned.

"That's not important right now, Ariel," Atina said, cutting her off.

"Anyhoo, you are just the person we were looking for!" Aquata said.

"Oh, um, really?" Ariel said nervously. "Why?

"Your friend Flounder told us you were up on the shore the other day. Is it true?" Atina questioned.

Ariel could feel the color draining from her face. "Um, yes. But, look, I swear, it's not what it seems-" she said, jumping to her defense.

"What's it like up there?" Arista blurted, taking Ariel off-guard."Up in the world above?" she continued.

"Ohh, that's what this is all about?" Ariel asked, more or less relieved.

Her sisters nodded.

"We want to know what it's like up there, but, see, you're the only one to be brave enough to swim up there and discover things... none of the rest us have the guts," Allana explained.

Ariel smiled, "Well, I don't know how to even begin to describe how warm the sun feels on your skin or the sound of sea gulls crying out in the distance."

"Oh, only things we are allowed to read about!" Arista gushed. "Is it as wonderful as in books?"

"Of course! Even better! And... you want to know the best part about the shore?"

The sisters gasped. "What?"

Ariel lowered her voice. "Humans. They're beautiful creatures that really _aren't_ savage brutes." Ariel said quickly. "Imagine that! They're _actually _sweet a-and charming!"

Adella and Allana glanced at each other worriedly.

"Don't you think that may be a little _too_ far, Ariel? Humans are very dangerous!"

"Oh, no! They're not! In fact," she said, pulling out the recorder. "_He_ gave me this!"

The sisters stared at the odd contraption inquisitively.

"It's a recorder!" she said, examining it again. "It plays music, like this!" She put two fingers of two of the openings and blew into the proper hole again, but was surprised to hear a beautiful combination of notes instead of the squelching she received earlier. "See?"

"Oh, it's beautiful!" her sisters cooed as Ariel ran her fingers over the soft make of the recorder, noticing for the first time that Eric's name was engraved on the side of it. Instinctively, a smile crossed over her face.

At the same time, the six other sisters shared a knowing glance.

"Ohh, so this is what this is all about," Adella said.

"What? I don't understand-"

"Love. You've fallen in love with a human!" Arista finished. "How peculiar!"

"Oh! Forbidden love! It's so... romantic!" Andrina said.

"I-I," Ariel stuttered, defeated. She swam a little ways over to her bed, her sisters close behind her. "I-I may be in love, but I doubt he is. I don't think that such a beautiful human like him could ever love a.. a mermaid like me."

"Aw, sweetie, don't think like that!" Atina comforted, draping her arms around her sister. "Love can overcome all obstacles!"

"Maybe... but you promise you won't tell Daddy?" she sniffed. "About any of this?"

"You're secret is safe with us," Adella said. "Promise."

"Oh, I love you guys," Ariel said meaningfully.

"We love you too, but you're not quite off the hook."

"Yeah, what's this guy all about?"

"What does he look like?"

"Tell us _everything_!" they chorused.

Ariel giggled. "Ok, ok! Well, his name is Eric and..." she said, with a glowing grin, starting to explaining her long experience with the human world as the family of mermaids all grouped on Ariel's bed to listen.

* * *

"Eric! Prince Eric, good heavens! Where on Earth have you been?!" Carlotta, the maid, said, flustered, the moment he stepped foot in the castle. "What on earth happened to you?" she asked, fussing with his damp clothing.

"I was just-" Eric started, but was cut off by the maid again.

"Here, dear, before you catch a cold," she said, throwing a warmed towel around his body. "We were beginning to get worried. You were gone for hours!"

He tried to get a word in edgewise, but was again interrupted by some other voice coming up from behind him.

"Are you hungry, sire?" a butler asked politely. "Fresh fish is our specialty tonight!" he said, motioning to a plate of salmon he was holding.

Eric felt his face pale as he gulped, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. "Um, no thanks."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Yes. I request for you to remove all fish, alive and... not alive, from the menu and from this palace, please."

"If you so please," he said, bowing and hurrying away.

It was, after all, only fair to Ariel and her fish friends that he didn't consume them anymore. And now, the mere thought of eating fish sickened him. Plus, _if_ Ariel ever came up to his castle, _if _that was even possible, he didn't want her to be offended or anything.

"Eric!" yet another voice shouted. Eric automatically recognized it as Grimsby's.

"Oh, dear boy, what have I told you about staying out late?" he lectured. "Besides, you have a big day tomorrow! The Countess of Rothes is visiting and... well... I'll put it this way, I hear that she would make a _lovely _suitor."

"Well, I don't want to meet her," Eric protested. "It's not a matter of which I would like to occupy myself with, Grims."

"But I promised His Majesty that you would be married by-"

"My next birthday. I know," Eric finished. "But I'm not interested."

Grimsby looked at Eric once again, defeated. If Eric wasn't willing to comply from the start, then there really was no use in trying to persuade him. "Uh, um, very well, then. You go get some sleep, dear boy."

Eric nodded quickly and dismissed himself from the somewhat uncomfortable stares of the maid and his advisor.

As he made his way up the staircase to his room, the only thing he could think about, once again, was (guess who?) Ariel.

A smile drifted across his face as he literally fell into his soft, warm bed, exhausted.

"I hope you sleep well, my Ariel. Good night and sweet dreams," he wished to her quietly, before yawning and falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

**Well, there is Chapter Three, my friends! Chapter Four is well on its way, too, so look out for that within the next 1-2 days! **

**Once again, I want to thank my wonderful reviewers; I really appreciate it, you guys! ;)  
**

**Um, yeah, I think that's about it for now, so, until we meet again!!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	4. Loud and Clear

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 4  
** Chapter Title:** "Loud and Clear"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter 4: Loud and Clear

"_Haha, come here, you!" Eric said, laughing playfully. He swiftly swam up behind her, smiling, and wrapped his strong arms around her in an embrace. She could feel his warm breath tickling her ear as he held her close to him. He caressed her skin gently, running the back of his hand down the side of her cheek, as she giggled in delight, completely content. He then leaned down and kissed her cheeks and lips ever so tenderly with his perfect human lips, making her spine tingle. _

"_Ariel..." he sighed. _

_"Hm?"_

_"Ariel. Ariel. Ariel..."_

"Ariel... psst... " Flounder's timid little voice whispered as he prodded the dreaming mermaid gently on the shoulder with his fin.

Ariel rolled over in response, slowly awakening. "Hm?" she asked groggily.

"Are you awake... ?"

"Yes, Flounder. I'm awake," she said sleepily, while stretching and blinking a few times to adjust to the light in her room. "What do you need, little guy?"

"Your father says it's time to get up," he said. "That's all."

"Since when do I listen to what my father says? I like to think of what he says as helpful suggestions," Ariel laughed. "What time is it anyway?"

"Um, almost ten."

"Mm," she said, stretching again. "I was having the best dream _ever_."

She sighed and rolled out of bed, proceeding to swim around in a circle, only to land back on her stomach on her bed.

"It must've been a really good dream," Flounder said. "Because you being in a good mood this early in the morning isn't normal."

"Hey! Isn't a girl allowed to be happy without a cause?" she said, tickling him under his gills.

Flounder laughed and squirmed around. "Well, yeah, I guess. But this seems a little different than 'happy without a reason'."

"What do you mean?" she questioned suggestively, her eyes sparkling.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything," he said quickly, swimming back and forth nervously.

"Nooo! Tell me, Flounder!"

"It's fine. It's not important."

"Please?" she pleaded, making her eyes big and pouty.

"Well... isn't this normally the way you act when you have a crush or something?"

"Ohh, _that_. Hm, well, there's only one way to find out!"

"And that is?"

"Naming the symptoms, of course! So, am I sighing?"

"Yeah," he said as she sighed playfully.

"Swooning?"

"I think so!"

"Blushing?"

"I'll say."

"What? I am?" she asked, bringing a hand to her cheek. Now _that_ one had caught her slightly off-guard.

"Ha, yeah. You're cheeks _are_ pretty red this morning."

"Well then, I guess you've got me there."

"So, you _are_ in love?" he confirmed. "Ariel and someone swimming in the sea... k-i-s-s-i-n-g!" he chorused.

"Oh, Flounder!" she sighed. "If only you knew the half of it! He is so... wonderful!"

"Woow, you got it bad!" he remarked with wide eyes. "So, that's what that dream was all about, hm?" he asked.

"Oh, yes! But I won't bore you with details," she said, shifting her gaze upwards, still thinking of Eric. "I wonder when I can see him again..." she sighed. "Soon, I hope..." she answered herself. Yeah, she was talking to herself, so what?

But it _had_ been a week since she had last seen him, after all.

It was definitely about time she paid him another visit, yes?

* * *

"You should probably know that I absolutely _hate_ water; hate everything to do with it, but I do _loove_ going to grand balls and baking and shopping and children and spending time with handsome men like _you_," the Countess giggled from across the table, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously at the Prince.

"Well, isn't that special!" Grimsby intervened. "So, what do _you_ think, Prince Eric? She'd be a lovely match for you, yes?"

"Hm, what?" he asked, snapping back out of his thoughts.

This had been the fourth consecutive princess that Grimsby had brought to him this week to be considered as a potential suitor. By now, however, he had just tuned out of their conversations all together. Besides, all they ever talked about was themselves, so he wasn't missing much, anyway. And, quite frankly, he really wasn't interested in any of them, but he supposed that that still didn't excuse him from proper manners. "Um, pardon my impoliteness, madam, but I was just thinking. That's all."

"Ooh, that's wonderful! You must have a lot on your mind, being Prince and all!" she said adoringly.

"Um, excuse me," Prince Eric said, standing up quickly. He felt an extreme need to vomit or pass out or something; pretty much anything that would settle his queasiness and get him away from this woman. "I, uhm, I think I need some air..."

Outside, Eric's feet automatically carried him back to the beach and where he could be alone in his thoughts.

Trying to clear his mind, he eased off his boots and stockings, tossing them aside, and wandered over to the shore, submerging his feet into the cool ocean water. He looked downwards at the ripple of the waves against the shoreline and watched the water as it fluidly flowed towards his feet and in between his toes before gently receding back into the ocean.

He sighed heavily. Where was Ariel when he needed her?

"Tough day?" a female voice asked, answering his question.

Eric spun around ninety degrees to see Ariel lying in the surf to his left, watching him intently. He felt relief flood his body as he approached her, happy that he would finally have another chance to talk to her again.

"Um, yeah, pretty tough," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. "I've definitely had better," he shrugged.

_But it's all better now that you're here,_ he thought quietly, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth.

He then glanced back at Ariel, who was laying belly-down in the surf, her head propped up on her palms. Her eyes stared at him inquisitively, urging him to carry on.

"It's just that my manservant keeps bringing in _horrid _women into the palace, expecting me to accept one of them as my future wife. I swear to God, if I have to hear another princess boast about herself, I'm going to explode!" he said, kicking up some sand. "I just wish Grimsby would understand that I can make some decisions on my own... especially ones as important as choosing a-a wife."

He then slowly lowered himself to the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest as Ariel watched on sympathetically.

"It's just times like this when I w-wish that my mom and dad were still alive... then I wouldn't have to deal with all of this... " he trailed off, feeling his eyes begin sting. He blinked furiously, trying to make the tears that were beginning to slide down his face subside, but was unsuccessful in doing so.

Ariel slowly lifted herself out of the surf and dragged herself onto the beach, where she seated herself down on the sand next to Eric. Feeling it was the proper thing to do, she wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace, trying her best to console him. Eric, meanwhile, was feeling better already; he could swear his heart skipped a beat the very moment he felt her touch him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't have a mother, either," she admitted, tugging him back away from his thoughts.

After a few moments of silence, Eric took a deep breath, finally feeling in control of his emotions.

"Sorry about that, Ariel," he muttered, embarrassed. He gazed out at the water, and took another breath, now completely calm. "I just lost it there for a second."

Ariel finally removed her arms from around his shoulders, "It's ok," she smiled sincerely. "It happens."

She then patted his hand, "I really do hope that things get better for you."

"Thanks," he said. "I hope so, too. Besides," he added. "I already know who I'm in love with, so none of this princess mumbo-jumbo really matters..."

_Well, it's time to come clean; she's bound to find out in time anyway... It was now or never, right?_ he thought determinedly.

Ariel's eyes sparkled, "Oh really?"

"Yeah. Well, let me give you a hint as to who it is," he said slowly. "Hm ... she's beautiful and her eyes are a dazzling blue, the exact shade of the ocean. She also has a vibrant personality to match that hair of hers, so... who could it be?"

"Me?!" Ariel exclaimed with wide-eyes as the realization set in. She felt as if she was going to explode with joy as he, in turn, felt the need to wrap his arms around her.

"Oh, Eric!" she whispered, feeling tears begin to flood her eyes.

She then happily laid her head sideways on his shoulder as he inter-twined his fingers in hers.

And even though neither of them had said a further world acknowledging their relationship with one another, they had both understood each other's intentions; intentions of which had been made loud and clear to the both of them.

So, in complete bliss, the two sat on the shore, watching as the sun set over the ocean.

Together.

What a perfect end to the day.

* * *

**But wait! There's more! Hehe, this isn't the end, folks! (Although it would be an nice ending, wouldn't it? But that would be too easy!)**

**Anyway! I was a little surprised that you guys were surprised that Ariel confided so easily with her sisters (Wow, try saying that five times fast!). The way I wrote it just in case you were wondering was that Ariel had a strong relationship with her sisters (sort of like I do with my sister), in the way that she can tell them anything without fear of being judged or anything like that. That's the way I thought Ariel _should have_ bonded with her sisters, even though none of that really was hinted to in the movie/musical/series. That was my intention, anyway, so I hope it wasn't too hard to believe.  
**

**So, um, the next chapter is on the way ASAP!**

**Reviewers, you rock! Keep 'em comin'!  
**

**Well.. until next time!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**P.S. ****I really hope Ariel and Eric's relationship didn't feel _too _rushed to you guys; I see it as they merely came to terms with one another in this chapter. You also have to keep in mind that this was about three to four weeks after their initial meeting... well, just some food for thought, I guess. Plus, they haven't kissed yet and- oh! I don't want to spoil it! You'll see!  
**

**P.P.S. Sorry this is a little on the short side, too, but I had to cut it off somewhere. The next one will be longer. Promise. :)  
**


	5. An Arrival

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 5  
** Chapter Title:** "An Arrival"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter 5: An Arrival

The next day, Ariel was up bright and early, feeling lighthearted, blithe, and full of anticipation. With memories of her afternoon with Eric still fresh in her mind, nothing in the sea could shake the smile from her face or dampen the warmth of her soul.

She couldn't help but think that what she was feeling was so new, so exciting. It was definitely unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was just that, for the first time, the emotions she was feeling wasn't apart of some dream or quirky fantasy; they were real! This all was _really_ happening to her, and she wanted to be sure that she remembered every moment of it.

Ariel sighed happily out loud, feeling content. She loved the way that her life had suddenly become more interesting, with new surprises waiting for her around every corner. She finally felt like she had something... someone to live for; that she had a purpose in life.

She grinned dreamily as her mind drifted back to thoughts of the previous afternoon again. At the same time, she silently debated with herself as to whether or not she was going to steal away to the surface to see Eric today. She _did_ promise last night that she would return sometime soon, after all.

As she contemplated her plans further, she headed over to her vanity set, staring thoughtfully at her reflection in the mirror. She picked up her shell comb and gently brushed her hair so it was nice and smooth. She also fluffed it up a bit, bringing out the natural wave in it.

She was sure to direct her bangs to one side of her face as well, which actually turned out looking quite nicely, for it showcased her sea blue eyes prettily. Experimentally, she tucked a matching sea-flower behind her ear, primping it slightly to look somewhat elegant in her mane of cascading hair.

Satisfied with her appearance, she floated towards her door and headed down the grand palace hallways on her way to breakfast.

"Good morning, Daddy!" Ariel greeted, beaming. She leaned down and kissed his cheek before taking a seat beside him, munching on some food that was on the table.

"Why, good morning, Ariel," he responded, a little taken aback at his daughter's bright greeting. He couldn't help but notice that she seemed as if she were glowing, almost radiating, with brightness as she took a seat beside him. "Did you sleep well, darling?"

"As a matter a fact, yes. It was the best sleep I've had in quite a long time, actually," she replied.

"Ah, I'm glad to hear it," Triton smiled.

He hesitated for a few moments, thinking of how to proceed with this conversation. What he was about to say had to be taken lightly, of course. "Now, Ariel, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I've got a special someone that I'd like you to meet," he said delicately. "I think you're going to become rather... fond of him in time."

"You know, that sounds like a lot fun, but I've already got some other plans today, Daddy," she countered. "I'm sorry. Maybe some other time?"

"No, no, those plans are going to have to wait, my daughter, for these visitors have traveled for many days and many nights to reach this palace. They're from a far of land that has always been allies with our kingdom. They're very important, you see."

"Oh, really?" she asked, now a little intrigued. Maybe she could stick around for just a few moments longer...

"Yes, and, oh! They're here now!" he said, grasping his trident in his hand. He swam over to greet the newcomers at the doorway warmly. "Welcome, welcome, my friends! I hope you find your stay here enjoyable!"

Ariel cautiously left her seat at the table and drifted in her father's direction, peering over his muscular shoulder to get a glimpse of the new guests. There were two men: one was an older man, who was talking to Triton in an animated fashion, while the other was a teenage boy, who stood at his side, nodding and contributing to the conversation only when acknowledged to.

Ariel eyed the new merman curiously. He looked about the same age as herself, and had messy dirty-blonde hair that sat atop his slender face. His algae-green eyes pierced the space around him, standing out like a sore thumb against the blue hue of the water around him.

"Ariel, this is King Neptune's son, Jordan," Triton said, giving Ariel a friendly shove towards the young boy.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you," Ariel said politely, extending her hand. "I'm so happy you could come."

"I'm so happy to be here," he grinned, taking her hand and kissing it with a deep, gentlemanly bow.

"Now, now, why don't the two of you run along and get to know each other," King Neptune urged. "Have fun!"

Ariel nodded, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. _What is he playing at? This is __**not **__what I had planned for today!_

Jordan extended his arm to her and she took it gracefully, the two swimming off out of sight as Triton and Neptune watched on with hopeful eyes.

"The children seem to get along quite nicely, Neptune," Triton remarked as soon as the couple were out of earshot.

"We're sure to join our land together in no time if this arrangement fits," Neptune nodded in agreement.

"My dear King, that's my point, precisely," Triton said, chuckling. "In no time we'll be invincible against all the other legions of the sea!"

"Ah, it's such good parenting... and politics, don't you agree?"

"Most definitely! And Jordan's quite the catch!" Neptune winked, elbowing Triton. "We're sure to merger in no time."

"You've got yourself a deal," Triton said, shaking hands with Neptune.

* * *

"So, Ariel, what do you like to do for fun?" Jordan asked as the two swam leisurely through the city of Atlantica.

Ariel took a moment to think out her answer. The way she saw it, she had two options. She could, one, tell him about her interest in the human world, or, on the other hand, she could lie completely about herself.

"Actually, I find myself intrigued by the human world," she said truthfully. Hey, a little honesty wouldn't kill her, right? "That's kind of weird, isn't it?" she asked shyly.

"No, no! Quite the opposite," he said meaningfully. "Hey, I think I know somewhere that you'd like," he said, his eyes sparkling.

He grinned and took his hand in hers, motioning for her to follow him. She eyed the two of their hands, noting the obvious differences between his and Eric's grasps.

Only to be polite, she followed, for what other choice did she have? She glanced upwards, towards the surface. _I'm sorry, Eric_, she thought apologetically. _I'm afraid I'm stuck with him all day, but I'll come see you soon as soon as I can shake him off._

Suddenly, Jordan glanced over both of his shoulders, checking to be sure the coast was clear. He then released her hand and began to push on a rather large rock, shoving it out of the way to reveal a roomy entrance to some type of cave or something.

"What I'm about to show you is top-secret, okay?" he confided. "You cannot tell a soul that it exists."

"I promise, I won't," Ariel said, playing along.

He then instructed her to close her eyes. "I want it to be a surprise," he said. "Now, just follow my voice," he whispered.

Ariel followed his lead, swimming in the direction of his voice and paused when she was instructed to do so.

"Ok... open them."

Ariel's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the bright light in her surroundings. She then stared in complete awe as her eyes fell upon shelves and shelves of... human things! Wonderful human stuff! She even spotted a few recorders on one of the upper-more shelves.

"You like it?" he asked, chuckling.

"Oh, of course!" she gasped, mesmerized. "But however did you know it was here? I could've sworn I've explored every nook and cranny of this kingdom and didn't even catch a hint of this!"

"Guess you weren't looking hard enough, eh? I actually discovered it on my last trip here. It was abandoned, but it's a great trove to hide human artifacts from my father and the rest of the mer-people. I just love this stuff..." he trailed off, examining some of the items that hung on the wall behind him.

Ariel found herself a little surprised, for she couldn't believe how similar she was to this new merman.

She caught herself feeling a little relieved and somewhat refreshed at the thought that there really _was_ someone in the sea that had actually shared the same interest as her. Someone who didn't think humans were barbarians; things that only existing to sabotage the mer-people. _Well, your sisters don't think that, especially after what I told them about Eric, and Eric most certainly doesn't think that, _she corrected herself. _B__ut this is different! _

Ariel was still awe-struck as she floated over to one of the shelves, running her fingers along an unfamiliar object. There sure were a lot of those around here.

"Hey, what's this?" she asked, holding it up to Jordan.

"Oh! That's very nice... it's what the humans call 'boots.' They're made of genuine leather," he explained. "It's a very nice collectible."

Ariel's head was spinning with this new information. A boot? Leather? Those words were so new and intriguing!

Subconsciously, her thoughts drifted back to Eric. _He_ had been wearing leather boots the day before, except his were black and not brown like this pair. How extraordinary!

She smiled, for she was beginning to feel the same sensation as when Eric had explained about the recorder; that feeling like the wind had been knocked out of her as she was transported a brand-new and exciting world.

"Leather boots!" she said, trying out the new words for effect. "It has a nice ring to it, huh?" she giggled.

He beamed, nodding in agreement.

"What about this one?" she asked excitedly, pointing to another item as he swam up closer to her to get a better look.

As Jordan elaborated on the explanation of a 'spoon,' Ariel could already tell that she would be spending a long time here in this trove in the near future with this new and fascinating man and all the amazing human knowledge and objects he possessed.

* * *

Prince Eric paced his room, absorbed in his thoughts. He was, obviously, thinking of Ariel and Ariel only.

Every so often, he would spin around on his heels and glance out his enormous window, searching for a sign that Ariel was going to surface again today.

But every time he looked, she wasn't there. There was still a little stream of hope that the next time he looked, however, she'd suddenly appear. Although, he knew not to raise his hopes up too high, for normally she only came by once a week, if that.

Eric sighed, amused at his own lovesickness.

He couldn't help himself, though. He greatly longed to talk to her again, especially after the afternoon that they had shared the previous day. If only there was a way, he'd swim down to Ariel's home in a heartbeat. He knew he probably wouldn't get the most enthusiastic of welcomes from the mer-people, but if that's what it would take, he'd do it. Heck, he'd jump into piraña-infested waters if Ariel told him to.

His thoughts, one again, shifted, returning back to the day before...

Eric reflected on how breath-taking she appeared on the shore yesterday. Her hair had glowed beautifully in the sunset and her eyes glimmered like the sparkle of the sun against the water. He felt his heart leap and skip a beat when she embraced him, and when the two had sat with their hands intertwined? Priceless.

He could feel his heart begin to race at just the mere thought of her.

Put-up with pacing, he made a beeline towards the window. He carefully hoisted himself up onto the window seat, leaning his back up against the wall behind him. He pulled his knees up to his chest once again and then pressed his forehead up against the cool glass windowpane.

_Ariel_, he thought wistfully. _If you can hear me now, come up here and set me free._

* * *

**Oh. My. Goodness! Another update?** **It must be a miracle! ;)**

**Anyway, I felt _really _inspired earlier and this chapter just kind of... came out! I might as well post it while I've got the time, right? **

**I hope you guys liked it!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**P.S. I applaud those who can identify _The Swan Princess_ reference (s)... hehe just watched that the other day. Love it! :)**


	6. Birthday Surprises: Part One

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 6  
** Chapter Title:** "Birthday Surprises (Part 1)"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

_Two Weeks Later..._

The sun was shining brighter than usual on this particularly day, itself framed by a magnificent blue sky; a sky so blue that it _almost_ matched the glimmering Atlantic Ocean beneath it. There wasn't even a single cloud in sight to ruin the sprit of this gorgeous day.

But not everyone was feeling the effects of the nice weather.

Prince Eric sighed as he made his way down the ocean front. Waves that rolled ashore gently tickled his bare toes as he made slow, relaxing strides through the cool water.

_Where is she?_ Eric thought for millionth time that day.

He missed Ariel. He really did. ... Obviously.

In her absence, she had reminded him how lonely and isolated from the rest of the world he was. Plus, her current pattern of her arrivals and departures, that is, if there was a pattern at all, left him longing and aching for more time, if only an extra moment longer with her. She was constantly plaguing his thoughts and dreams.

The bottom line here is that she never left his mind; she was always there, 24/7.

On a slightly lighter note though, he had a little more hope to see her today than usual, for today was his seventeenth birthday. Grimsby had insisted on a huge bash for him, especially since the next year he would fall into power of his kingdom, but Eric quickly shot that idea down. He wanted to do something simple and not make a big fuss about it, like maybe go out sailing later or something.

And although he'd probably never admit it, he didn't really believe in magic, especially the kind that comes with wishing on birthday candles, but, nonetheless, he made a wish on his celebratory cake that he could see Ariel again soon, if not today, then within the next few days. He highly doubted that it would come true, for magic didn't exist, right? Then again, he hadn't really believed in the existence of mermaids before, either, but he had been proven wrong.

So, then, when would fate, this time in the form of birthday magic, bring together the two again?

"Why the long face, Eric?" an oh-so-familiar voice echoed, answering his question.

Eric snapped his head upwards and gazed out to sea to find that his favorite mermaid was perched on top of a nearby rock.

_Thank god!_ He thought, his head buzzing.

He then hastily rushed into the water, making a beeline towards Ariel.

"Ariel!" he cried happily, sweeping her up into his arms, fins and all, in one swift motion. He beamed and twirled her around a few times in the knee-deep water.

Ariel giggled delightedly at Eric's elated expression, silently wondering why she hadn't found time to surface sooner, while he gently set her back down on the rather large rock. He then took a seat beside her.

"I've missed you so much," he said honestly, taking her hands in his. "I just can't stop thinking about you."

Ariel felt a blush creep up to her cheeks, "Me too," she replied.

True, she had been forced (by her father, she might add) to spend excessive time with Jordan, almost every minute of everyday, the past few weeks, and although he and his human stuff were interesting to say the least, they could never beat the thrill she experienced when with her Eric.

It had taken a few days to finally shake Jordan off her back and make it up to the surface world again, but boy was she glad she did.

"So, what have you been up to?" Ariel questioned. "You been busy?"

"Nah," he responded. "I'm just focused on getting along day to day, I suppose. You?"

"Same here, I guess. My father has kept me... pretty occupied," Ariel put it. It probably was best to keep Jordan out of this at the moment; she didn't want Eric to get any wrong ideas. "I'm really sorry about that. If not for him, I would've been up here sooner," she sighed.

He smiled. "Don't worry about it. You're here right now... and that's all that matters, right?"

"Yeah," she beamed in response, feeling her body tremble in delight as he wrapped his arms around her.

She never wanted it to end. She wanted to stay up here with Eric for ever and ever, to feel his touch and hear his voice all the time...

"You know what's kind of funny?" Eric inquired, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"I didn't believe in mermaids until I met you... and I didn't believe in magic until I wished on my cake this morning to see you today."

Ariel felt her stomach drop. "It's your birthday?! Oh my god, I feel awful that I didn't get you anything! If I would've known, I-"

"No, no I didn't mean it that way," Eric said, putting a finger on her lips to silence her. "Plus, you don't need to get anything; you being here is more than enough for me."

Ariel felt as if her heart was soaring. "Really?"

"Really, really."

Ariel was rendered speechless, partially because her situation was kind of ironic. See, just yesterday Jordan had left her with a list of what he wanted for his birthday, which wasn't even for a few months from now, but now this man had just told her she was "more than enough" for him on his birthday.

It was... beyond comprehendible to her.

She spoke again. "N-no one has ever said anything like that to me before. Y-you really mean it?"

"Yes... yes, of course I do," he said, his eyes sparkling as he brushed a stray lock of her red hair away from her eyes.

Feeling her whole being glowing with an indescribable warmth, she buried her face in Eric's chest as his strong arms enveloped her again, feeling a little overwhelmed. She wasn't sure what she was feeling or how to react, especially because now there was no doubt in her mind that this was exactly where she belonged... here with Eric.

"Eric! Prince Eric!" a male voice screeched from behind the two.

Ariel, panicked at hearing another human voice, wriggled away from Eric's grasp, splashing back into the water to be where she would be out of sight of any impending humans.

"What, what is it Grimsby?" Eric asked, annoyed, spinning around on the rock to face his advisor. Talk about ruining the moment!

"Eric, if you wish to set sail on the sea tonight we'd better get a move on! There's a lot to do in so little time and we could really use your help!! You can't stay dawdling out here forever!" Grimsby added, shaking his fist warningly at the Prince.

"Okay, yeah, fine," Eric said. "I'll be there in just a second!"

Quickly, he turned back the other way to see Ariel before the two parted again. "I'm going to go sailing tonight," he whispered. "Come see me, okay? I'll be in a big boat. Huge, in fact! You can't miss it."

* * *

**Yes, short, I know, but I'm already one step ahead of you! The next chapter is posted as well for your viewing pleasure! Go ahead, look! :) Longer author's note on next chapter! Yay!  
**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake  
**


	7. Birthday Surprises: Part Two

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 7  
** Chapter Title:** "Birthday Surprises (Part 2)"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

After promising Eric she'd come see him again tonight on his ship, Ariel headed back home, still deep in thought.

There were so many things that were going through her mind about Eric; how much she adored him and how wanted to spend every spare moment she had with him...

But how to make that possible was beyond her.

Lucky for her, she was getting nearer to home, so she could postpone her thoughts for a few brief moments.

However, Ariel was just re-entering the gates to the city when she had the feeling that something was wrong. There was a certain uneasiness about the mer-folk she swam by that made her anxious as to what was going on. There also seemed to be an increased number of mer-guards around the gates and in the city in general. That was odd...

"Ariel, Ariel!" Jordan exclaimed, swimming up to her. "Where have you been? Oh, never mind, come here, quickly," Jordan said urgently, grabbing Ariel's arm. "Follow me and don't say anything. I'll explain everything to you in a few minutes."

He swam hastily, leading her towards their secret trove. When they were safe inside, he covered the entrance with the rock securely behind them before continuing with what he had to say.

"What, what is it?" Ariel questioned, genuinely confused. "What's going on?"

Jordan gulped. "King Triton, um, your father, just got wind that someone went up to the surface and he's absolutely furious."

Ariel felt her stomach drop to her knees and her heart begin to pound rapidly in her chest. "Oh, really? Does he know who it is?"

"No, thank god... Why, was it you?" Jordan asked curiously. "Did you go up there?"

"No! I'd never d-dream of doing such a thing!"

Jordan raised his eyebrows inquisitively and chuckled, "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"Oh, oh- you mustn't tell, Jordan! You must promise me."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, but what was it like?"

"Well, um, it was just the top of the ocean, I suppose, but that was all. It's not like I met a human or anything! Nope, pretty boring."

"Oh," Jordan replied, his visage reflecting disappointment. "That would've been cool, though. Well, anyway, one last thing, your father seemed really, really angry, so you'd better be careful and watch your back. I heard him say something about some enormous hurricane tonight or something as well..."

"Oh, no!" Ariel whispered, feeling her body become numb. Eric was going to go out sailing for his birthday tonight and... would find himself right in the path of the brewing hurricane! Crap. "I-I have to go! Now!"

"No, it's not safe out there," he said, grabbing her hand to stop her. "You have to stay here."

"No! I don't care!"

"I know what's best for you, Ariel," he pleaded. "Please, don't go..."

"You know what? I'll do whatever I so please. Now, let me go."

Feeling Jordan relinquish his grasp on her hand, she swam off furiously, swimming as fast as her tail would allow her, determined to get to the surface to warn Eric before it was too late.

As she broke through the surface of the water, she let her eyes adjust to the pitch black night of the sky before continuing on.

She looked around, scanning for signs of an impending hurricane, but the sky was stunningly clear, like it always was before a storm. She noticed, in the meantime, that the sky was dotted small shining silver spots all over it, like someone spilled shiny silver glitter all over it.

"Oh, Eric, where are you?" she whispered, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

Suddenly, something burst out loudly in the sky, exploding and sending out an array of color across the landscape. Then, a large, beautiful ship cut through the water, it's sails billowing proudly.

_There! _Ariel thought, relieved. Now, all she had to do was warn him to go back home before things got worse.

She swam in the direction of the ship and splashed upwards, grasping and hoisting herself up on a small ledge on the side of the ship. She then leaned forward to peer onto the boat deck.

There, she saw a celebration with jubilant music and festive dancing going on.

And right in the center she saw who she was looking for. Eric. He was playing one of his recorders and dancing a little ditty with the rest of his company.

Now, to attract his attention...

As she was formulating her plan, his voice broke out from the crowd, talking to the older man she saw earlier on the shore. Her thoughts racing, she leaned forward a little more and couldn't help but tuning into the conversation that going on...

"Happy birthday, Eric!" the group chorused, unveiling what looked like an enormous present for him. It was a life-like stone sculpture of Eric, dressed in a very regal outfit. He was so handsome... and oh, how she wanted that sculpture!

"Oh, Grims," Eric chuckled in response. "It's um... really something. You shouldn't have."

"I know," he muttered. "But I really had rather hoped it'd be a wedding present for you."

"Remind me, how many times have we had this conversation, Grimsby?"

"Um-"

"No, no, that was rhetorical," Eric responded to Grimsby, who was ready to respond with the exact number of times the two had carried out a similar conversation. "I know it all too well how intent you are in finding me a wife, but these things can't be forced!"

"But it's not just me! The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl-"

"Well," grumbled Eric uncomfortably, "she's out _there_," he said, motioning out to the sea. "She just—I just-"

"Haven't found her yet?" Grimsby finished. "Well, perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough."

Eric scoffed. "Believe me, Grim, only one _very _special girl deserves my love and when she and I are finally reunited, it'll _**BAM**_ hit me like lightening."

In the distance, thunder boomed and lightening flashed. Rain came spilling down in sheets onto the boat, pulling Ariel out of her thoughts.

"Hurricane a-coming!!"

"Stand fast!"

"Secure the riggings!" voices echoed.

Ariel, before she had a chance to recover, was tossed off the side of the ship in a whirlwind of wind and rain as a huge wave stuck the ship.

Her vision became obscured as she was lurched underneath the water. She fought to break through the water and resurfaced again just in time to see the ship engulfed in flames.

Squinting her eyes, she saw Eric struggling helplessly on the boat deck. His leg seemed to be caught on something...

She felt her heart beat rapidly as she swam nearer the ship, trying to piece together a way to help him, if at all possible.

Another explosion then burst out, causing her to bring her arm up to shield her eyes against the blinding light it emitted, but, gratefully, she didn't fail to see a body – more precisely, Eric's body - flying through the air and splash mercilessly beneath the water.

She dove into the water in the direction of where his body had been, scared out of her life. She scanned through the debris and other wreckage floating around her and, thankfully, was able to spot him, drifting further and further down into the ocean. Swimming furiously, she reached him and then looped her arms around his. She pulled and pulled upwards until the two broke through the surface.

Hastily, she took a firm grasp on his arms and proceeded to swim as fast as she possibly could towards the shore...

* * *

The storm was beginning to break up as Ariel dragged Eric onto the beach, laying him gently on the sand beside her. Sitting up next to him, she stared lovingly at his beautiful, unconscious face, feeling a flood of emotions overwhelm her.

Eric meant so much to her, more than he was probably aware of, and there was just no way she could lose him now.

She took up his hand hers, desperately hoping that she hadn't been too late. "What an exciting birthday you had, Eric," she whispered.

She ran the back of her other hand up and down his cheek gently, still holding his hand in her other. "There's so much I long to tell you. ... If only you could know the half of it... well, then again, maybe someday you will..." she sighed. "Please, wake up, Eric," she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

Just then, a single ray of sunlight appeared over her shoulder, shining and illuminating Eric's face. In response, his eyes fluttered open and he began coughing up water in an attempt to clear his lungs.

"Don't worry, relax," she soothed as he made an attempt to move. "I'm not going anywhere; that's right, take your time. I'll be right here..."

* * *

Swimming back and forth anxiously, Jordan was deep in thought, his mind racing with thoughts about Ariel. Why had she gone off so quickly when she had heard about the hurricane? What _was_ she in such a rush for?

He thought for sure that his tip off to the king about someone going up to the surface would scare her enough to defer her from ever leaving Atlantica again, but boy had he been mistaken. Ariel's adventurous spirit would probably never be fully detained.

There had to be some way, however, to keep her within his grasps. He was, after all, destined to be the king of the sea when Triton keeled over (Yes, that deal the two of them had planned had quite the perks!) And having Ariel as his beautiful, intelligent wife would only help boost a positive image for his people.

But, in order for that to happen, he had to pull her head out of the clouds and back where it belonged: in the ocean. Maybe if he could find the source of her wandering mind, he could shut off the source...

Swimming out of the gates to Atlantica, he headed up to the surface world, to the place where he was certain he would be able to find Ariel. She _had _been so keenly interested in it, after all.

When he broke through the surface, he saw nothing more than a brilliant blue color above him with seemingly endless water surrounding him. His lungs were taking a while to get used to the new atmosphere of the world above, so, taking a moment to collect himself, he scanned the landscape. It was mostly water and air (is _that _what it was called?), except for a bunch of sand that was a little ways off.

Floating over out of pure curiosity, Jordan found himself intrigued by a vibrant red blob on the shore. Getting a closer look, he realized it was Ariel.

_Bingo_, he thought. _Found her._

But he stopped mid-stroke as he realized that she was already with someone. With some human. He watched on, his heart twisting and writhing in pain, as she stroked his face lovingly, talking to him with the most gentlest of tones.

_Oh, the nerve of her! _He thought, simmering with anger. And he knew he shouldn't be quick to jump to conclusions, but he hadn't even met that human there and he already loathed him. Maybe it was because he wished it was him that was there, getting Ariel's affection...

He watched on, feeling as though he was going to become sick, as the human returned her affections, stroking her wrist delicately with his fingers, smiling weakly as she spoke to him.

Now, if that wasn't love, he wasn't sure what was. And the thought of her in love (with a _human _nonetheless) pained him, and yet inspired him at the same time. Maybe this could play out to his advantage...?

"Oh, Ariel, you've fallen in love with a human... What would your father think of all this?" he muttered angrily, swimming up closer. "That puts the two of us in a predicament, now doesn't it? But no, oh, no, no, no, that's just too easy! Oh, just wait until you see what you've gotten yourself into, Ariel, darling..."

* * *

**Let me start off by saying that I'm SO, so sorry for not being able to update sooner. These past couple of weeks have been really, really insanely busy and I haven't found a spare bit of time to get online to update! But I sorta compensated, right? ;) I hope so. Anyhoo, I thought I'd do a double update _today_, as well, in honor of my birthday (well, it's not technically until tomorrow), but you know what I mean. :)  
**

**As always, reviewers - you're amazing and never cease to make my day and um... ****I hope you all enjoyed the update(s)!**

**Up Next: Ariel and Eric have an intimate moment on the beach and... what on earth does Jordan have planned?  
**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	8. Crushed

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 8  
** Chapter Title:** "Crushed"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

As Eric slowly recovered on the seashore, Ariel kept a constant vigil at side, speaking to him in the gentlest of tones.

Every so often, he would tense up his muscles and roll over from side to side, tossing and turning in a fitful rest. Occasionally, he would also become overwhelmed by coughing fits, but she remained right there to soothe him, to comfort him, until he quieted and was able to get back to sleep.

"I'm _so_ sorry all this had to happen to you..." she spoke softly, feeling her eyes brimming with tears.

She observed him closely as his face twitched slightly in his sleep. She found herself wondering what he was dreaming about as she adjusted a lock of his damp black hair on his face.

_There_, she thought, a grin tugging at her lips. _Much better._

Sighing, she moved to lie down next to him, feeling quite exhausted herself. She adjusted herself so that she was somewhat comfortable on the sand and continued to snuggle up against Eric, burying her head in the side of his torso, as her brain quietly put her body to sleep...

_Ariel tugged at Eric's body, trying to pull him up to the surface as quickly as she possibly could. But he wouldn't budge. She tugged and tugged, but his body seemed to be floating downwards, descending into the depths of the ocean, instead of coming upwards with her, as she so intended. _

C'mon! I can do this!_ She thought desperately. _

_A few minutes later, when finally she managed to get above the water, Eric wasn't breathing at all and his face had turned a ghostly pale-white color. _

_Her stomach flipped in anxiety and her heart dropped: _

_She was too late... _

_Suddenly, she felt his body slipping from her grasps. She was now holding nothing at all. Frantically, she scrambled to regain her grip on his arms, but he kept drifting further and further down into the ocean. _

_No matter how far she reached, he was always another inch away..._

"_ERIC!" she screamed. "Eric!!"_

"Ariel? Ariel..." a voice echoed. "Ariel, I'm right here."

Jolting upright, Ariel was met by the harsh glare of the midday sun. She winced and shielded her sleepy eyes, which were still adjusting to the bright light radiating above her.

She glanced over at Eric, who was sitting up on the sand next to her, still a little dazed from his "birthday surprise," and was overcome with emotion.

Dissolving into tears, she buried her face in her hands.

"Ariel? Ariel, what's the matter?" he questioned, alarmed at her distress. Protectively, he cradled her in his arms, holding her close to him as she cried.

"I couldn't save you; I was too... too late!" she whispered. "I lost you..."

"No, no, I'm right here, sweetheart, and this is where I'm going to stay," he soothed as he lovingly stroked her disheveled red hair. "It was just a dream."

"More like a nightmare," she whispered.

"But it's all over now," he said. He moved his hands upwards to cup her quivering cheeks, using his thumbs to gently wipe away her tears. "Ok?"

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, finally regaining control over herself. "What would I ever do without you, Eric?" she asked with a half-hearted smile.

"Well, _I_ couldn't live without you... literally, if that means anything to you," he responded.

"It means everything to me."

Without any second thoughts, or any thoughts at all, for that matter, he moved his hands from her cheeks down to her chin. He proceeded to brush away a stray lock of her hair from her face before he began to lean in nearer to her, his eyes slowly closing. Ariel's heart leaped up into her throat as she caught the hint.

Closing the gap between the two, Eric's lips crashed onto hers. Ariel happily obliged, melting into the kiss.

He then snaked his arms down around her slender waist as she pressed her body against his, while wrapping her arms around his neck. His kiss lingered for a moment before she pulled back – only slightly – their foreheads touching, eyes still closed, both savoring the other's presence.

Smiling blissfully, she brought her head down to rest on his broad shoulder, while he laid his head on top of her own.

A short period of quiet followed, where neither spoke.

Each was happily entwined in the other's arms, neither of them ever wanting to let go.

Not another word need be spoken.

* * *

_A Few Hours Later..._

"Man, saying goodbye is the always hardest part..." Eric trailed off after a few moments of silence.

Ariel had figured that she had been gone for _way_ too long already, for she had spend all last night and a good chunk of the day with Eric, so she decided that, before anyone became too suspicious, it was time to bade Eric farewell, even though she really, really didn't want to.

"Well, it's not like it's goodbye forever... just temporarily..." she said, trying to make light of the situation.

"So, I guess I'll be seeing you," she said, beginning to make her way towards the beach.

"Wait! Wait," he said, crawling up to her. "... I love you, Ariel," he whispered, pulling her back into his arms and kissing her lightly on her temple.

"I love you more, Eric," she responded, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah? Well, I love you more than _anything_ or _anyone_ on the world, my little mermaid," he countered.

Ariel lifted her head upwards, feeling her heart leap with joy, and looked up at him, tilting her head as their lips met softly and lovingly.

"Goodbye, Eric," she said.

She gave him one final kiss and then splashed back into the depths of the ocean...

* * *

Feeling as if she was on reef nine, Ariel swam home, elated. She had been sure that Eric could manage to get home on his home before departing, of course.

Eric... he was someone that meant so much to her; so much that, even if she tried, she couldn't even express what she felt for him in words.

Needless to say, she had really come to love the way _she_ couldn't seem to stop thinking about him, the way the mere sight of him was enough to bring a bright smile to her face, the way she somehow knew without a doubt that she could trust him.

She especially loved how, whenever she was in his warm, comforting arms, she felt safe and loved. Something that she had been, unfortunately, lacking down under the sea.

That wasn't to say that there was no one under the sea that loved her, because there was, but there was just something about Eric that wasn't like anything she was accustomed to...

And his kiss! It had been so sweet and loving; everything that she imagined it to be. And more! Plus, after those three magic words that he had spoken to her, there was, quite frankly, nothing that could ruin her mood.

She rounded the corner, approaching the gates of the city, softly humming to herself.

Suddenly, practically out of nowhere, she felt a hand grasp around her wrist tightly, forcefully tugging her sideways.

Her eyes widened in surprise and her body tensed; she opened her mouth to cry out, but, instead, she found another hand pressed up against her mouth.

"Don't scream, it's just me," Jordan whispered in her ear. He loosened his grasp on her wrist slightly and uncovered her mouth, smiling and blushing like an fool. "Surprised?"

"Um, yeah, but was that really necessary?" she asked in awe, a little taken aback at his foolishness. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"No, I guess not... Sorry."

She tugged her hand away from his at last and rolled her eyes, swimming off._ What was up with him?_

"So, how was your day?" Jordan inquired, trailing behind her.

"Wonderful," she replied, some memories from earlier flooding back into her mind.

"Really? Any particular reason?" he wondered out loud, helping her push the entrance to their trove open.

"No reason," she answered. She sighed dreamily was soon as she was inside and giggled softly, picking up what she knew as a broom and spinning it around.

"Run away with you, Eric?" she whispered so only her and the broom could hear. "Oh, I couldn't..."

Then, she thought about that kiss again...

"Oh, yes I could."

_She's got it bad_, Jordan thought as he watched on, amused. _Not for long... but I won't do anything... yet. _

"Would you mind if I cut in?" he asked, taking the broom away from her.

"No, I suppose not," she said, a bit dismayed from being pulled away from her fantasy.

"Hm, would you like to learn something new?" he questioned.

"Sure, why not?" Ariel nodded.

"Ok, well, humans... enjoy this hobby called dancing," Jordan explained. "It works like this..."

He took Ariel's left arm and rested it on his shoulder, while he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He then took her right hand into his own and began leading her in a slow dance, the two now floating gracefully in the water.

He beamed and placed his arm on the small of her back, twirling her around and dipping her down towards the ground, catching her a bit off-guard.

He escalated her back upwards, catching her gaze. He then closed in on her, his lips becoming dangerously close to hers.

Shocked, she pulled away, unsure of what to do next. One minute the two had been having a good time dancing, and then the next he was trying to kiss her? Now she knew something was going on.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, hurt laced in his voice.

"Nothing... I just- I can't-" Ariel said, panicking. She pressed a hand to her head, a little perplexed.

_Here we go_, thought Jordan. _Ariel, your whole life is about to change. _

"I have to go," she said bluntly, beginning to float away. "See you later, Jordan."

"Ariel, wait," he said. "I have to ask you something."

"What?" she asked, pausing at the doorway.

"Have you ever..."

"Ever?"

"Met a human?" he asked sweetly, swimming up behind her.

Ariel stopped abruptly, her stomach dropping to her fins. _How did he find out?_ "N-no, I d-don't know what you're talking about." she stuttered, turning to face him.

"Really?" he said, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms "Because you and that guy looked pretty cozy up there on the surface earlier today."

_What?! He must've followed me..._ Ariel thought desperately. "Well... I... He... is... We're just friends!"

"Friends?" he echoed. "Hardly!"

"Jordan, please let me explain-"

"No, no need. Save your breath," he cut her off. "Hm... what, I wonder... would daddy dearest do if he ever found out that his precious little daughter was in love with a _human_?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Ariel shrieked in horror.

"Oh, I would."

"What do you want?" she pleaded, tears now freely streaming down her face. "I'll do anything for you, but just don't tell him. Please."

"Ah, I'm glad you're seeing things my way," he smirked. "Anyway, I just want one thing. That is, I want you to never go near him, that _human_, again. Do you hear? Never."

"You can't do that!" Ariel screamed.

"Really? Just watch me. And I'll have you know that I have my sights set on being king of the sea, darling, and that will only happen if you get your head back under the sea... where it belongs," he added.

"But Jordan, please try to understand!" she whispered, her heart shattering. "I love him!"

"King Triton!" Jordan shrugged, swimming away. "Oh, Tritonnnn!"

"Jordan!" she yelled, watching with desperation as he swam out of sight. "No..."

Defeated, Ariel crumbled to the ground, grasping onto a nearby rock for support. Her shoulders heaved with deep, heartwrenching sobs that pained her both physically and mentally.

Earlier, she would've described this day as _perfect_; the best day of her life. And then Jordan just had to come in and... completely ruin it! He had successfully crushed all her happiness and hopes and dreams to pieces with his attempted kiss and his horrible threats.

_I hope you're happy_, she thought bitterly, cursing Jordan's name. _I hope you're happy now._

And yet, after she had cried out all the tears she could've possibly held in her body, a sharp, shooting pain still shot through her aching heart.

_What in the world had she done to deserve this?_

* * *

**Hey, what can I say, I was listening to the _Wicked _soundtrack on my iPod and had a moment of completely random inspiration. Yay! At least it was somewhat of a quick update. ;)  
**

**Well, I really don't have much more to say here...  
**

**To all my reviewers- again, thank you so much for all the comments you left for the last chapters! I cannot begin say this enough. It really makes my day to see those emails in my Inbox and I really do enjoy reading them all! You guys are amazing!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**P.S. I noticed a lot of people mentioned something or another about Ursula in their reviews and I just wanted to throw out there, in response, that she's not the only one that can do magic under the sea... fair warning. Eh, just something to think about, I suppose. ;) **

**That's not to say she won't have an appearance or two in the future, but, well, um, I'll just leave it at that. :)**

**_EDIT_: I forgot to include this in the original author's note (and thanks for reminding me J), but Jordan mentions how he's going to be made king if he marries Ariel. I, for the life of me, thought it over and couldn't think of any clear, logical explanation to this, but, for my (and your own) sake, let's just imagine that Jordan becoming king of the sea came along with some twisted deal Neptune and Triton made together, ok? We'll just say the only way Triton would allow Jordan to be king when he died is if he married off one of his daughters and so, to carry out his end of the deal, he chose Ariel. He has his sights set on _her_ and only her. Alright? **

**Hopefully that sorts things out a bit. :)  
**


	9. An Engagement

**

* * *

**

Basic Story Info.

**Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
**Chapter Number**: 9  
**Chapter Title:** "An Engagement"  
**Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
**Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

* * *

_Knock, knock_.

"Who is it?" Ariel questioned warily, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes. She was currently laying on her bed, thinking, and really wasn't in the mood for talking right now.

Well, to correct herself, she hardly ever was in the mood to do anything anymore. Her heart had been brutally damaged beyond repair a month or so ago (she had begun to lose track of time lately), and all it seemed she could do was cry about it.

Pathetic, much?

"It's your father. May I come in, please?" the voice on the other side of the door inquired.

"I suppose," she said, cracking open the door and motioning into her room. She really didn't have a choice, did she?

"So, how is Jordan treating you lately?" he asked, taking a seat beside her on her bed.

_Like crap. _"Fine," she lied. "He's... charming."

"Glad to hear it," Triton said, patting his daughter on the shoulder. "He's quite a young man, yes? He's quite _my_ idea of a perfect match for you."

"Listen, Daddy, I'm a little worn out right now, so can we maybe discuss this later?" she asked, growing undoubtedly uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

"Of course. But you're still coming to the party later tonight, right? Jordan was so keen on arranging it and making it just perfect for you."

"Yeah, I guess," she responded. "I wouldn't want to disappoint him," she said, hinting at sarcasm.

"Good," he said, kissing her forehead gently. "I'll see you later."

As soon as he was out of earshot, she dissolved into tears, overwhelmed with everything she was feeling.

_What was she going to do?_

* * *

Ariel sighed and rolled over in her bed for the hundredth time that afternoon. She stared up at the coral patterns above her, deep in thought.

She had decided within the past few hours that she had been laying there on her bed that one thing was definitely for sure:

She knew she couldn't just let Jordan walk all over her like this... there had to be some way she could stand up for herself! She was sick of crying and just laying in bed every spare moment she had; she needed desperately to fight back and get back up to the surface. And, rest assured, she would...

But how to do so was beyond her.

She gave an aggravated sigh and rolled over, catching sight of Eric's recorder, of which she had placed on one of her shelves.

She dragged herself out of bed and swam over to that shelf, picking up the instrument lovingly in her hands. She traced the little openings with her fingers and felt a fresh wave of tears coming on as she remembered that day up on the shore... how handsome and sweet Eric had been, how in love she was...

Overcome, she collapsed on the ground, clutching the recorder to her chest.

* * *

Later that night, Ariel observed her surroundings, amused.

The Grand Ballroom was being used tonight for a celebration, obviously, but, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what for. Of course, no one ever informed her of anything, so it was pretty much up to her to figure it out on her own.

Blue and silver decorations festooned the walls and some music was being played by a band near the front of the room, lead by a humble crab by the name of Sebastian.

Well, she could understand if it was just an appreciation ceremony for someone, but that still didn't explain why on earth was everyone was congratulating her.

Were they all happy her heart had been crushed to pieces by someone who claimed to love her? Were they celebrating that the one person she truly belonged with and loved with all her heart was miles away? Were they all elated that she was forbidden to ever see her true love again?

No, probably not, she answered herself.

Regardless, her heart still ached and longing for Eric. She was trying to look on the bright side of the situation, perhaps to provide her with some false comfort, but it was so much harder than it seemed.

And she really had no one she could connect with. No one that really _knew _the brat that was Jordan.

See, Flounder's mother had been enrolled him in a school course that lasted from 8 to 4 and came along with a bunch of homework, which ate away all his time to spend with her. It also left him exhausted and grumpy at the end of each day, and when her friend wasn't in a good mood, it wasn't a good idea to bug him.

And her sisters... she hadn't seen one of them in ages. It would seem as though they were up to something, but they were probably just going about with their lives, oblivious to everything going on around them.

Which left her alone.

Feeling tears brimming in her eyes, she turned away from the crowd assembling in front of her.

In a millisecond, however, Jordan appeared beside her, taking her hand and leading her up to a small balcony that overlooked the crowd. "Come on," he ordered.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

When he saw she still wasn't budging, Jordan sighed. "Ariel, _please _don't make me say something I don't really mean."

"Like you telling me that you love me again?" she retorted.

Jordan froze, memories of the previous day flooding back to him.

_"Ariel, you have to understand, I'm only doing this because __it's what's best for us and for the kingdom__."_

_"What about what's best for _me_? Jordan, I can't live like this! At least try putting yourself in my fins."_

_"Ariel, I know it's hard for you to be away from... him... but I-I... I love you!"_

He had tried that path a few days ago, confessing his true feelings for her, but she had apparently taken it the wrong way. Obviously. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," he said, forcefully tugging her up a set of stairs. "Come on, you don't have to say anything. Just smile and look pretty."

Ariel sighed. She didn't want to go up there, for Jordan would most likely just show her off, saying how beautiful and charming she was, like she was some sort of trophy or something, but she also didn't dare object, either. It would probably end up doing more harm than good, that is, depending on Jordan's mood.

As Jordan prepared to make his address to the people, a young mermaid swam up beside Ariel, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Ariel? Ariel, pardon me, but how does it feel?" she questioned, her eyes sparkling. "You must be so happy!"

"What?" she questioned. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"What does it feel like? To be engaged?" the girl finished.

_How would I know? _Ariel thought, but suddenly, it struck her. The decorations, the congratulations...

Her eyes widened and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. This was just like something Jordan would do.

"Surprised?" Jordan cut in, dismissing the young mermaid back into the crowd.

"This is an engagement party? But we never- you never-" she started.

"Did I have to?" he smiled.

Her took her face in both of his hands and met her lips in a forceful kiss. On the contrary, it looked completely innocent to all the beholders. The crowd sighed in response, making sweet remarks about how happy and in love the couple seemed to be.

When he pulled away and turned his back to her, she stumbled backwards, disgusted, wiping at her lips as if trying to rid herself of this awful memory.

"Citizens of Atlantica," he said, turning to face the crowd. "I hope you are all having a wonderful time at this grand celebration."

There were many cheers and echoes in response.

"Good, good," he replied, chuckling. "I'm sure you have all, by now, heard the news of my fiancé and I?" he continued, snaking his arm around Ariel's waist, pulling her forcefully next to him. "The both of us just couldn't be happier! We'd like to thank you to the utmost degree for helping us celebrate. And you are all invited to our wedding."

Ariel was just about ready to pass out as the people below her cheered and applauded. "You're so good, Jordan!" they chanted.

"Oh, isn't he handsome?" a trio in the front swooned. "Ariel is so lucky to be marrying him!"

Ariel couldn't take it anymore. The news, the comments; it was all too much.

She yanked herself away from him and tore off from the balcony, sights set on the door. Right now, she didn't care what anyone was thinking about her and nothing Jordan said would turn her back now. She needed to get away.

"Don't worry," Jordan's voice echoed behind her. "She's just gone to get me a refreshment! Isn't she wonderful?"

Outside the double doors of the ballroom, Ariel leaned up against the wall for support, slowly sliding down the wall. She laid her head in her hands, her head trying to comprehend everything that had happened today. It was... overwhelming.

"Ariel... Ariel are you ok?" A voice called out in front her.

"Oh, Adella, no," she said, collapsing into her sister's arms.

"Come here," she said, leading her into her room. "I think your sisters and I know just how to cheer you up."

There, Ariel saw her other five sisters waiting anxiously, almost a mirror image of when she first told them about Eric. This time, however, the news they were about to share with her was ten-times more exciting.

"W-what's this?" she asked. "What are you all doing here?"

"Ariel, we have all seen your distress this past couple of weeks," Atina started. "And we know for a fact that you don't love Jordan. Really."

"Yeah, did he even ask you to marry him?" Arista asked.

"N-No," Ariel hiccuped. "It just happened. I didn't know until just a few minutes ago."

"We figured," Adella continued, leading her sister over to the bed. The other mermaids swarmed around her, bright smiles adorning all of their faces.

"So, that's why, we, your loving sisters, devised a plan to make you... a _human_," she whispered.

* * *

**Omigod, you guys! 2 updates in one weekend? How is this possible?!**

**Lol, I used _Wicked_ a whole bunch there. Great, isn't it? ;)**

**But, oh, how evil of me! Leaving you all hanging right there. And, man, Ariel has one nice family, hm?  
**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**PS I made a little edit in the previous chapter, so, if you wouldn't mind, you can go to the author's note to read it! It explains some stuff about Jordan and the king of the sea and such. ;) Thanks!**


	10. Human Child?

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 10  
** Chapter Title:** "Human Child?"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

"_So, that's why, we, your loving sisters, have devised a plan to make you... a human," Adella whispered._

"A human?" Ariel repeated, awe-struck.

"Well, becoming a human _is _the only way to get what you want, isn't it?" Atina pointed out. "Unless, of course, you _want_ to stay here and be miserable the rest of your life."

"No, no! I don't," Ariel assured her. "But... h-how is that even possible?"

"It's not as hard as you think, dear. Quite frankly, I can't believe you didn't think of it yourself," Allana shrugged.

"So...?"

"_So, _we'll just use Daddy's trident to transform you into a human!" Aquata explained. "No problem."

"Yep, don't you worry your pretty head a moment longer, Ariel," Andrina finished. "We've got it covered! All we need to know is when _you're_ ready and it's go time."

"Wait a second," Ariel said. "If I _do _become a human, I'll never see you guys or Flounder or Daddy again..."

"Well, that's not _completely_ true," Aquata retorted. "We'll definitely come check up on you as often as we possibly can and we can bring Flounder with us, too."

"What about Daddy and Jordan?" Ariel challenged. "How will you explain my disappearance to them?"

"Truthfully. But why should it matter to you? Jordan has only sabotaged your life and Daddy only egged it on," Andrina said.

"Listen, Ariel, you don't have to decide right now, if that's what you're worried about," Allana cut in. "We're ready when you are, so just tell us when you've made up your mind one way or the other. Ok?"

Ariel nodded. "Oh, thank you _so_ much for thinking this up, you guys," she said, embracing her sisters in a group hug. "You don't know _how_ much this means to me. I don't know what in the world I would've done without you..."

"Hey, what's family for?" Atina said, smiling warmly.

* * *

Ariel left Adella's room a few minutes later in a bit of a daze. It was really beyond her wildest dreams that her sisters had gone to all the trouble of figuring out how to turn their youngest sister into a human to make all her dreams come true. Plus, the trident idea was pretty ingenious; why hadn't she thought of it before?

However, as appealing as the idea sounded, Ariel found herself feeling a little uneasy about the whole situation. She knew for a fact she was dealing with a major decision that could potentially come along with dire consequences, such as, well, what if her sisters worked the trident wrong and something terrible happened during the transformation? It's wasn't that she didn't trust them (she did!), but accidents _do_ happen.

The hypothetical that pained her most, though, was what would Eric think of her if she was no longer a mermaid, but a human just like him? What if he abandoned her completely after she had done all of this for him? For his love?

Ariel shuddered at that thought. She didn't want to be rejected by the only person she ever really truly loved, because, well, if that happened, she'd have to live completely and utterly alone in the human world and everything she had worked so hard to acquire would go to waste.

Somehow, she wasn't too fond of that idea...

Ariel took a deep breath to calm her swirling thoughts. What had happened today was a lot to fathom, indeed, from her forced engagement to Jordan to her sister's clever plans, but she knew that she needed some more time to think about what to do, especially because she didn't want to act quickly and rashly when handling such an important decision.

She guessed that, at first thought, the choice really sounded pretty glamorous, with no thought really required in choosing, but her second thoughts still prevailed.

Ariel kept swimming leisurely from place to place, never lingering long before taking off. Her head was still buzzing as she finally situated herself at at the dinner table, munching down on some food that had been set out.

To her dismay, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Jordan fast approaching. She then shifted her gaze to her father, who was at the head of the table, scanning the daily newspaper.

Her thoughts lingered.

What would his life would be like if she was gone? Could she really do that to her father? He had done nothing wrong. He didn't really deserve to lose his youngest daughter because some selfish brute had sabotaged her life.

Suddenly, she flinched, nearly jumping out of her seat, when she felt Jordan's lips press up against her temple. "Are you ok?" he questioned, taking a seat next to her. "You look... perplexed."

"I'm fine," she answered sharply. "What does it matter to you?"

"Hey, there's no need to get all defensive. I was just trying to be nice!"

"Wow, I didn't know that word was even in your vocabulary," Ariel shot back sarcastically.

"Ariel!" Triton intervened, throwing a harsh glare at her from his end of the table. "Watch your manners."

"So, dear, I've been thinking about our wedding," Jordan started again in a much sweeter tone. "The whole kingdom is invited, as I'm sure you know, and, well, I think we should get married as soon as possible... so does next week sound ok?"

"What?" Ariel protested. "I don't even-"

"That reminds me, Triton-"

"Jordan!" Ariel said, raising her voice over his.

"Yes?"

"I-I, uh, I have an announcement to make!"

Ariel took a deep breath, finally deciding that she was sick of being trampled on by Jordan and always being told what to do. It wasn't as if she lived to serve him! This stupid ploy had been going on for far too long now and it was going to end. Right now.

She was through with playing by the rules of his stupid game. It was now time to make up some of rules of her own.

"I'm calling off the wedding!" she announced, genuinely proud of her ability to stand up for herself for once.

"What?!" Both Jordan and Triton cried out at the same time.

"You obviously don't know what's best for you, young lady!" Triton exclaimed. "There's absolutely no way you can opt out now. We've already arranged the date and the-"

"Triton," Jordan interrupted, putting his hand up to cut the king off. "It's ok. I know why she's falling through with it."

"You do?" Ariel asked, a little confused.

She watched as he floated out of his seat and over to Triton. Ariel raised her eyebrows, unsure of what he was going to do next. Knowing Jordan, he was probably going to do the last thing she'd ever expect him to...

"Sir, I tried to stop her," he said, bowing his head in shame. "Please, forgive me."

"What? What is it, Son?" Triton asked, patting Jordan on the shoulder sympathetically. "You can tell me."

Ariel's heart began to beat rapidly in her chest as she suddenly had the awful feeling that she was going to be sick to her stomach.

Jordan wouldn't dare tell her father about Eric... would he?

"I told her, Triton, I did. I warned her that those... those _humans_ were dangerous, that she ought to stay away from them; they were only trouble!" he said, his eyes glossy. "But she wouldn't listen!"

"Humans?!" Triton exclaimed angrily. "You went to the surface again, didn't you?"

Ariel winced, shrinking back into her chair.

She _knew_ her father had set up a specific rule that no mer-person was ever allowed to go to the surface, his own daughters included. Well, she had already broken that rule once to his knowledge (once too many, as it seemed) and now that she had broken it again, he was sure to get furious.

Sure enough, Triton exploded in a rage-filled rant, closing in mercilessly on his youngest daughter. "Ariel, those savage brutes will _kill_ you in the world above! Isn't your mother proof enough for that?"

"But he didn't even scare me, Daddy," Ariel protested. "He was very charming!"

"I don't care! They're barbarians! Heathens! You could've _died_ up there... Do you think that I want to see my youngest daughter caught in a fish-eater's hook?"

"No, but Daddy, you don't understand! If you would just listen-"

"Ariel, maybe you should be the one doing the listening! I've told you time and time again _not_ to go up to that surface world. What is it that don't you understand? He's a human, you're a mermaid!" he yelled, fire burning in his eyes.

"Don't _you_ understand? It doesn't matter!" she screamed. "I _love _him!"

Horrified at what she had just said, Ariel's eyes widened as she slapped her hand over her mouth.

She really hadn't meant to go that far with her argument.

Nonetheless, after what she had just said, her father would be _so _angry; his wrath through the roof, even more so than before, which was something that she would probably be better off avoiding.

Quickly, she skidded out of her chair and swam as fast as she could out of the room, not failing to catch a glimpse of Jordan's satisfied smirk out of the corner of her eye as she retreated.

However, she already had her sights set on another destination; one that Jordan couldn't stop her from going to now that he had already spilt the starfish.

Oh, yes, she was definitely going to go relax in the surface world for a while.

* * *

Prince Eric kindled his roaring fire as he observed the open ocean water closely, hoping that his prayers might be granted tonight. Every night for the past few weeks he had come out to this very spot on the beach, peering anxiously at the endless ocean before him, hoping that fate would bring himself and Ariel together again, with _h__oped _being the key word here.

It had been almost a month since their last encounter and he was beginning to get worried. Had she completely forgotten about him? Had she found another man?

But no, she promised she'd come back. She _promised_.

_What if she didn't mean it_? A little voice echoed in his head.

_Well, what if she did?_ Another challenged.

He kicked up some sand in his wake and threw himself down onto the sand, frustrated.

His head was saying, "_Well, who cares about Ariel? Who needs her?" _But his heart echoed

back, saying, "_You do, stupid."_

With a sudden splash, Ariel's head broke through the surface.

To her complete surprise, it was nighttime already, the moon (that _was_ the right word, right?) emitting a pretty silver glow onto the water around her. She hadn't known that it had gotten this late at night, but what did it matter? She was already in enough trouble, so how much more harm could this little excursion do?

Now, to find Eric...

* * *

Hearing the sudden disturbance in the otherwise still and calm ocean water, Eric glanced out at the sea, where, in the dim light provided by the moon, he could barely distinguish a figure about fifty feet away from where he was seated.

He felt his stomach do a back-flip: _Could it be her? _

He then listened closely, for he knew the sure-fire way he could tell if it was her: the sound of fins against the water.

_... Splish, splash._

Eric's heart began beating rapidly as he pulled himself to his feet, still squinting to see if he could maybe make out her figure a little more.

"Ariel?" he called out loud. Maybe he could get her attention that way.

"Eric?!" came the response. "Over here!"

"You don't know how happy I am to see you!" he exclaimed.

Not bothering to conceal his smile, he watched excitedly as she pulled herself into the surf. From there, he scooped her up in his arms, making their way onto the beach, where he helped her seat herself, somewhat awkwardly, on a log. She had yet to say a word.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked, a bit concerned. "You seem... a little _too_ quiet."

"Oh, i-it's just... family issues," she confided truthfully.

Eric gazed at her sympathetically.

"Come here," he said, giving her a comforting hug. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually."

Ariel nodded into his chest.

Then, the fire caught her attention. She stared at the flames intently as they swallowed the small pieces of wood Eric had collected, savoring the warmth and light it emitted.

"A fire!" she whispered, amazed, while pulling back from Eric's embrace. "Eric, why does it... oh, what's the word? Burn!"

"Well, um, after I light this wood here with a match, the two react with the things in the air and... burn," he said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"A match?" she questioned, confused. "You mean like you and me?"

"No, not quite," he chuckled, pulling out a spare match from his pocket. He handed it to her and laughed again as she examined it with eager eyes. "A match is this little tool here."

"Oh, important thing to remember," he added. "Never play with matches; they're somewhat dangerous if you don't know how to use them and contain your fire in the right way."

"Point taken," she said, handing the match back to him.

Grinning, Eric put away the match, but, in the process, his fingers brushed against the cold metal of a little present he had purchased for Ariel. As a matter a fact, he had completely forgotten that he had put it there in the first place. Until now.

Clutching it in his palm, he withdrew it from his pocket and turned back to Ariel, who was watching him intently.

"Look, Ariel... y-you mean so much to me," he began. "And to show you, I wanted you to have... _this_."

He showed her the gift: a necklace, setting it down in her hand. He watched on anxiously as her entire demeanor shifted.

Ariel was taken aback, in a good way, as she examined at the necklace carefully.

It was medium-sized and solid gold in the shape of a heart with a little diamond pattern in the middle. It was also ingrained with some type of regal symbol at the very bottom.

One thing, however, caught Ariel's attention the most, for on the back of the necklace, located above another one of those the little symbols, in delicate cursive handwriting, the necklace read "I love you, my Ariel."

"Oh, Eric, I love it!" Ariel whispered, feeling some tears coming on. Her eyes sparkled happily as she looked back up to his somewhat relieved expression.

"I hoped that you would... I had it specially made for you..." he trailed off, his face becoming hot.

"Would you like to put it on for me?"

"Sure," he nodded. "I'd be honored."

She then watched as he took the necklace from her palm and clasped it around her neck, his fingers following the chain in order to center the pendent in the middle.

"There. Perfect," he whispered, withdrawing his hands.

He then leaned in, placing an innocent kiss on her lips.

Ariel smiled lovingly as the two finally spilt apart and looked down at her jewelry again, tracing the cold metal with her thumbs. "Eric... does it bother you that I-I'm not the same as you... a human, I mean?"

"Where did that come from?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I don't know. I was just wondering," she shrugged innocently.

"Look, Ariel, you and I... we're the same."

Ariel looked up at him, confused. "What? But you're not-"

He shook his head, cutting her off by pressing his finger to her lips. "Look."

He then took her hand and pressed it to his chest. He followed by placed his own hand on her heart.

"See?" he said, pulling back his hand at the same time she did. "Exactly the same."

Ariel nodded, feeling a wave of understanding hit her, even if she didn't quite comprehend what the new this understanding was quite yet. She figured she'd get it in due time.

"Hypothetically, though," she continued after a few moments. "If I somehow could... become a human, would you still... still love me?"

"Well, if that was even possible..." he chucked. "Of course I would," he answered truthfully. "Human... or not, I love you for who you are, Ariel, not what you look like... or what species you're from."

Ariel giggled and smiled warmly in response. "I love you too, Eric."

Indeed, that was pretty much all she needed needed to hear before finally making up her mind on becoming a human or not.

Therefore, the moment she got home, she decided that she was going to tell her sisters that tomorrow night was the night, the night where she would take her last gasp as a mermaid, sick of swimming, and take her first breath as a human, ready to stand.

* * *

**Whoo, seven pages! That's pretty long, you guys! Hopefully I have satisfied you here with a nice, long update! That was my goal, anyway.**

**Reviewers, new and/or old, I cannot _continue _to thank you enough! I practically live for you guys- you're all amazing! :)**

**Next Up: The transformation! **

**How exciting! **

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**PS Hehe, there was bit of _Tarzan_ thrown in this chapter, too. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. ;)**


	11. The Transformation

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 11  
** Chapter Title:** "The Transformation"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Ariel knocked cautiously on Adella's door one night later, fidgeting with the necklace around her neck while she waited. She knew that it was a bit late at night, nine o'clock to be more specific, but she was ready. It was, quite simply, now or never.

Adella cracked open her door a few minutes later, peering out with sleepy eyes to see who her visitor was. "Oh, hey, Ariel, are you ok?" she asked wearily.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine..."

"What do you need then, dear?"

"I-I'm ready."

Adella mouth twisted into the shape of an "O" as she nodded her understanding. She opened the door wider and ushered her youngest sister into her room, having her a take a seat on her bed. Then, the light flipped on, Ariel squinting for a brief moment until her eyes adjusted.

"And you are _completely_ sure?" Adella asked.

"Yes. I'm as sure as I'm ever going to be," Ariel responded, subconsciously grasping Eric's necklace that hung loosely around her neck.

"Ooh, what's that?" Adella asked curiously, swimming up in front of her sister.

"Oh, this? Eric gave it to me last night."

"Really? Can I see? Please?"

Ariel giggled at her sister's eagerness and nodded, holding the necklace out for her sister's examination.

"Aww! 'I love you, my Ariel.' How sweet!" she cooed. "You've found yourself one nice guy," she remarked.

Ariel blushed, "Thanks."

Just then, Ariel heard a series of knocks on her sister's door. Adella let go of Ariel's necklace, giving her a little wink, before she turned away, hurrying over to open the door. Ariel peered over her shoulder, gasping slightly as she saw other five sisters waiting anxiously in the doorway.

"So, you're ready Ariel?" Allana asked excitedly as the other sisters poured into Adella's room.

"Yes," Ariel said confidently. "I am."

"Oh, this is going to be so fun!" Atina exclaimed.

"Wait, but how did they know I was here...?" Ariel started, confused.

"Does it matter, Ariel?" Adella asked. "We're all here now, so let's get on the move, people! It's time to execute our plan."

Ariel remained in Adella's room while two of the sisters went off to fetch the trident. Luckily, as they informed her, there was no guard directly outside of the room with the trident in it. Plus, no one would ever suspect _any_ of the sisters to take it anyway. Especially the two oldest, who could provide with the excuse that they were merely practicing working the power of the trident, which, really, wasn't completely a lie.

"Now, Ariel, if you're going to be a human, you have to dress like them right?" Andrina pointed out. "So, we retrieved this little piece of clothing here to help you out a bit."

Ariel watched on, a bit awe-struck, as her sisters pulled out some cloth from under Adella's bed, continuing to wrap it snugly around her body. "Oh, it's wonderful!" she gasped. "How did you ever get it down here safely?"

"Easy. It was an engagement present for you, darling," Aquata winked.

Adella then knocked on the door for the final time, "C'mon girls; it's go time."

Allana then swam past Ariel, the trident glimmering in her hand, in order open the window on the far side of the room just enough for her and Ariel to individually swim outside. The others followed behind closely in suit.

_Thank goodness Adella's room backed up to a very private part of the castle and Atlantica_, Ariel thought. Hopefully, there wasn't a huge risk of being seen and/or potential for getting caught here.

"Alright, you ready?" Arista asked.

Ariel nodded, gulping. Of course she was scared out of her life for this transformation, but it would all be worth it in the end. Right?

She sucked in a deep breath, mentally and physically preparing herself, for she had to be absolutely ready to make a long, treacherous swim to the surface as a human.

"Now, we'll be right here with you all the way. We won't abandon you. Promise," Aquata assured her.

"And now... you shall become a human," Adella said, her eyes twinkling. She took a nice and firm grasp on the trident, which was pointed directly at the youngest sister. She continued to close her eyes, picturing her baby sister as a human. She saw her human legs and she wanted her to have them it more than anything in the world...

A loud blast sounded as the trident worked its magic.

A wave of pain overcame Ariel and she cried out in agony, feeling tears burning in her eyes, for her whole body was shifting and rearranging in the most uncomfortable of ways. But, as the sisters well knew, it wasn't easy at all to reverse the power of the trident to help ease Ariel's discomfort, so, unfortunately, all they could do was watch on in horror and hope for the best for their sister.

Nonetheless, Ariel was still able to marvel, even if only slightly, as she watched the blob that had been her mermaid fins morph into long, slender human legs underneath her human clothing. At last, her fins faded away completely, replaced two beautiful human feet.

Then, she felt her gills take the form of human lungs, demanding oxygen this very second.

Her eyes widened in alarm at the sudden and immediate need for air. Adella dropped the trident in her wake as all the sisters took hold of Ariel, swimming towards the surface desperately and as quickly as they could.

Ariel helped as well, kicking with her new legs furiously towards the surface. It was still so far away, though, and her lungs were on fire.

She needed oxygen. Now. She couldn't even think clearly anymore. All she could see was water. Seemingly endless water...

_I can do this. I can do this... I can't do this! What was I thinking?! _Ariel thought as she kept on swimming. _Just keep swimming, just keep swimming._

"Ariel, you can do this!" Aquata encouraged. "You're going to take your first breath as a human in just a few seconds now!"

Ariel nodded, but on the inside, she panicked, as she was beginning to lose focus of her surroundings. Then, she saw the moon's reflection on the water and she knew that she was so very close to the surface.

A splash sounded as Ariel's head burst through the surface, coughing and sputtering. Never had she been so grateful to breathe in the marvelous human air.

"See?" Adella said. "We told you so."

"There was nothing to _really _worry about," Allana echoed.

Ariel nodded quickly and gasped for air desperately, her chest heaving, trying to relieve her new lungs and her oxygen-deprived body as quickly as possible.

As soon as Ariel had caught her breath (_somewhat_) and calmed down her pulse a bit, her sisters helped her just a little ways more, dragging her weary body to the surf.

Ariel, extremely sore and panting, fell to her hands and knees and took it up from there, crawling onto the beach. She then felt her body collapse onto the sand with a sickening thud.

"Good luck, Ariel," she heard one of her sisters whisper. "We'll be up visit you soon!"

"Thank you so much," Ariel uttered, her eyelids becoming heavy. "This means so much to me."

"Don't mention it," someone echoed back.

Then, she blacked out, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Triton swam back and forth in his study anxiously. He was in a state of reverence, thinking back upon his previous actions to his daughter at dinner.

He could hear his own angry voice buzzing in his head and, at once, he had wondered if he had been too harsh on the child. He had chewed her out, almost unnecessarily, for going to the surface world _again_. But could you really blame him? It wasn't as if he didn't have probable cause because, well, Ariel's mother... she had loved to go to the surface world and watch the sunset or gaze up among the stars. That was back when there was no restriction on any citizen to go to the surface world; the human and mer-world were free to co-exist in peace.

Nonetheless, the two had made it a special night once a week to go up to the surface world all by themselves, on sort of a date, if you will, without any children or work to worry about. It was something both had immensely enjoyed together.

That is, until Triton had suddenly become too caught up with the important duty of palace work to accompany her any longer. She insisted it was fine, that'd she'd continue to go on her own.

_What a mistake that had been_, Triton thought, feeling his stomach twist uncomfortably.

Apparently, while she had been up there, it was to Triton's knowledge that she had met a human and had fallen for him immediately. Then, one night, she swam up to a ship, mistakenly thinking that it was his. Instead, it turned out to be a fish-eater's boat. In the end, she had gotten her fins caught in their hooks, the netting suffocating her mercilessly until she had finally died...

A pain stabbed at Triton's heart as he blinked back a few tears. It was then when he decreed no mer-person was ever to go to the surface. Again.

Was he really going to let Ariel go up there, fall in love with a human, and get snagged in a fish-eater's hook, only to end up just as her mother had? No, no, of course not!

But he couldn't blame her for just being a curious mermaid. He had once been just as curious when he was younger... and maybe it had purely been fate that the Ariel and that man had met... And if she _really _loved him...

Triton sighed, feeling heavy with regret and guilt. "Oh, what have I done?" he questioned himself, burying his face in his hands.

At the present moment, it looked as if he owed someone an apology and, perhaps, a second chance.

* * *

**Uh-oh. That's just trouble waiting to happen! Well, my wonderful readers and reviewers, there's another chapter! Expect another update very, very soon. (;**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	12. Realizations

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 12  
** Chapter Title:** "Realizations"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

The next day, the sunlight poured down upon Ariel's newly transformed body, providing her with a rude awakening from her slumber. She winced and squinted, covering her face with her hands, for the early morning sunlight provided a harsh glare upon her eyes, one of which she was not used to quite yet.

Ariel expelled a deep breath, for never in her entire life had she found herself so exhausted and in pain. _But it will all be worth it in the end_, she reminded herself. _Just wait until Eric sees my magnificent new human legs!_ _Speaking of which..._

Heart pounding, she carefully brought herself to sit upright, even though her body strongly protested such sudden movement.

She blinked a few times more and brushed her bangs away from her face, just as her eyes had finally adjusted to the new lighting. She brought her gaze downwards, where she first saw her necklace glimmering on her neck. A little further down, she could clearly see her knees peeking out from the beige cloth provided to her by her sisters. She gasped and sat up a little straighter at the sight, watching in awe as she raised her right leg from the sand, revealing five little toes on her feet. She beamed as she wiggled her toes, finding herself giggling in delight at the mere sight of them. _I wonder how they work_... she inquired excitedly.

She gazed around her surroundings, looking for something she could use for support. Finally, she spotted a medium-sized rock a little ways off. _Perfect_, she thought.

She dragged her body over to the rock, using it as support as she timidly hoisted her body upwards.

Then, for the first time, she stood. Maybe shakily, and maybe only for two seconds, but she had stood, nonetheless. She tried again, able to steady herself for a few more seconds before she stumbled back down into the sand. _Boy, walking is _so _different from swimming_, she remarked.

As soon as she had grasped standing quite a few trials later, she decided to try tackle walking. She knew for a fact that walking _was _the only way to get around in the human world, so she might as well begin to teach herself now. And, sure, she also knew that she'd trip and make mistakes, but she was still confident she had what it took to be a human...

She took her first few wobbly steps and immediately faltered, falling down face-forward. Again. She sighed, spitting out a mouthful of sand. _Note to self: I'll keep my mouth closed next time. _

She tried a few more times, and yet she consecutively ended up back where she started. _Ugh, why had Eric made walking look so easy?_

Finally, Ariel steadied herself once more, feeling a wave of accomplishment wash over her as she took about ten steps all on her own without a hint of faltering. She cried out in ecstasy as she twirled around on her new legs, not falling once. She skipped around, feeling the sand squeeze between her toes and the cool water brush up against her skin, a grin plastered on her face. If only Eric could see her now! He'd be so proud!

_Eric_, she thought, skidding to a halt.

As she thought about him some more, she found it sort of ironic that every other time she had beckoned for him or had come looking for him, he was always there, already waiting for _her_. This time, however, she was completely on her own to make her way around in this strange new human world. She only had herself and her common sense to rely on.

Feeling a shiver run down her spine, she continued her stride, only a tad bit uneasy now.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a little path to her right, made up of some rocks all... _stuck_ together as it seemed. She quickly raced over to it without a second thought, continuing along the path that was cool and refreshing when it met with her feet.

She could only hope, however, that it'd bring her one step closer to the humans.

* * *

Some time later, Ariel began to hear some noise in the distance. She whipped her head about excitedly, looking for the source of where all the hubbub was coming from.

Suddenly, some sort of _structures _started appearing in her line of vision. Cautiously making her way along, she peered around the corner of an arch entryway, once much like the entrance to her kingdom.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in awe as she found herself right in the center of the hustle and bustle of a small town.

She could hardly resist the urge to "ooh" and "ah" out loud as people made their way around, women dressed in nice dresses and men striding along proudly in their fancy leather boots. She hastily ducked out of the way of some huge beasts that were pulling some humans along on some transportation device. What _were_ those things, anyway?

A group of teenagers then walked by her noisily, chattering and giggling in high-pitched voices. Some men followed closely behind.

"Did you _hear_ the latest news on the Prince today?" one asked.

"No, no! Do tell!" the other giggled in response, breaking Ariel from her thoughts.

"Man, can you believe them?" one of the men sighed in the background.

"Always got their head up in the clouds about that Prince," the other replied.

_A prince!_ Ariel thought. _How wonderful! I wonder what he's like!_

Ariel smiled, still in complete and utter awe. She combed through her hair anxiously with her fingers and picked at her shabby clothing. She most definitely wouldn't want these humans to think she didn't fit in around here.

"**_Watch out_**, lady!!" a voice shouted some ways off.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Ariel tilted her head slightly as she heard something approaching her. _Fast_.

However, before she could figure out what was going to hit her, she was already on the ground, her head colliding painfully with the stone below her in the process.

"Miss! Oh my goodness, are you ok? Miss...?" a voice called out. But Ariel couldn't bring herself to respond, as her world was slowly fading to black right before her eyes...

* * *

_Knock, knock._

Triton approached his daughter's door cautiously later that afternoon, ready to recite his heart-felt apology to her. He really owed her one, especially for how he acted the night before.

"Ariel, I know you're in there," Triton called, sighing. "Please, open the door?"

Yet, there was no response. Was she really so mad that she wasn't going to talk to him? Well, then again, he really couldn't blame her.

"Ariel? ...Ariel? Ok, you know what? I'm coming in now," he called, reaching for the doorknob. Normally, _that _would get a response from her, but there was still none.

He then threw open the door, only to be met with an empty and unusually..._ tidy _room. Her bed was made and her things were arranged neatly; definitely a first for someone as all-over-the-place as Ariel was.

_Oh well, _he thought. Maybe she was just out and about; she'd be bound to return later, right? Then again, who knew with that child!

He shrugged and supposed he'd just try again later.

* * *

**I told you so! But, man, poor Ariel! What's happened to her?! How's that gonna work out? (; I'll guess you'll have to wait and see!**

**As always, much love to my readers and reviewers! Thank you ever so much!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	13. A Change in Plans

**Basic Story Info.**

**Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
**Chapter Number**: 13  
**Chapter Title:** "A Change in Plans"  
**Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
**Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

"Grimsby, remind me why you want to throw this ball again?" Eric asked wearily, staggering slightly under the weight of all the themed party favors, confetti, decorations, and countless other supplies he was helping to deliver to the ballroom.

"We've gone _over_ this time and time again, Eric!" Grimsby replied with a stern expression. "It's so you can meet the eligible young ladies of the kingdom!"

Indeed, it had been to Eric's knowledge that Grimsby had decided to arrange a special ball for the prince, of which the entire kingdom was invited to, in three days' time in order to "broaden his perspective on the number of lovely, available women."

_Pfft, like I'm interested, _Eric thought with a chuckle.

Truth be told, he really wanted to just give Grimsby a pat on the shoulder and thank him for his effort; to tell him to just give up now, for all his attempts at finding Eric's true love were futile. Because, really, did Grimsby think that one stupid ball would help him meet the love of his life?

_No_, _of course not!_ he answered himself. _Because_ _she's out _there_!_

Speaking of his little mermaid, he glanced over his shoulder and out of the window behind him, eying the overcast weather outside. He watched as the waves gently rolled to the shore. Oh, how he longed to just get out of this place and take a nice long stroll along the beach...

"Eric! Prince Eric watch out!" a guard cried out suddenly.

"Wha-?" Eric started, confused. He was cut off, however, when he tripped over a roll of wrapping paper, landing face-forward on the hard, tile floor, scattering decorations and confetti everywhere in his wake.

His face burned bright red in embarrassment as he staggered back to his feet with the help of a few nearby guards. Since when had he become so klutzy?

"Man, what's that doing there anyway?" he asked, kicking the roll aside.

"Oh, Eric! Are you all right?" Grimsby fussed. "You've got to be more careful, my dear boy!"

Eric sighed, mentally preparing himself for yet another lecture from Grimsby. It seemed as if he had been getting those stern lectures more often lately...

_No worries, _he thought. He'd just do what he always did: tune out of his speech until it was over.

"So, you see, that is the importance of the ball and all who are attending. And it won't be possible unless you are absolutely focused! But Eric? Eric! Are you listening?"

"Yes," he nodded automatically. "Yes, of course."

"You know what? Maybe if you just _tried _a bit harder, you might actually find yourself enjoying the prospect of the ball," Grimsby shrugged. "But what do I know?"

_Ha! This ball probably won't turn out better than any of the others,_ Eric thought bitterly. _But nice try, Grims._

"Um, Prince Eric? Pardon me," a nervous little servant inquired, breaking Eric from his thoughts. "Excuse me, your excellence, I'm so very sorry to disturb your thoughts…"

_Your excellence? _Eric thought. _That one's new._

"I was told to deliver the message that, since _you _spilled the confetti and other assortments of party favors when you fell, you'll need to go out and replace the supplies yourself."

Eric groaned. "Do I _have_ to?"

"Orders _are_ orders," the small man shrugged. "And, right now, Grimsby _is_ in a really foul mood, so, if I were you, I wouldn't question it," he added warningly.

Eric sighed, "With all due respect, that isn't your place, sir."

"I'm sorry, your majesty," he bowed apologetically. "I was just trying to help."

"That's alright," Eric said, clapping the man on the shoulder. "I wanted to get out and get a breath of fresh air anyway. Hey, what do you say, would you like to come along?"

"Really?"

"Sure, I don't know why not," Eric shrugged. "Besides, misery enjoys company."

* * *

Half an hour later, Eric and the young man, whose name he learned was Michael, saddled up their horse-and-buggy carriage and set off into the village. Eric stretched out almost immediately, reclining his head back on his hands, while Michael maneuvered the route.

Eric couldn't help but notice, in the meantime, that this man was a _really _was reckless driver, which you probably would have never suspected coming from such a timid man.

"Can you handle the driving, man?" Eric asked, his eyes still closed. "If it's too much for you-"

"No, no I'm fine," Michael reassured. "I think I've got it."

The ride continued as the scenery rolled by. Soon, the hustle and bustle of the distant village could be heard as a faint, but continuous, buzz.

"We're almost there, sir," Michael remarked. "We're just on the outskirts of town, so few more minutes tops."

"Great," Eric replied, not even bothering to move.

* * *

Some time later, Eric and Michael were finally headed back in the opposite direction towards the palace. They had just bought a wide assortment of party supplies to replace the ones, plus some extra, just in case. It was better to be safe than sorry, right?

"Ugh, who does this lady think she is? She needs to get out of the middle of the road before we run her over!" some man in a carriage nearby warned threateningly. "Hey, lady! Move!"

It was to no avail. The woman acted like she hadn't even heard the man; she was instead entranced by a group of young adults walking around on the other side. Meanwhile, the carriage was fast approaching her, and Michael showed no sign of slowing down.

"_**Watch out**_, lady!!" he shouted as loud as he could. She tilted her head slightly, as if she was trying to figure out what was going on, but it was too late. The horses had knocked the mortified woman to the ground, leaving a sickening _thump_ of head colliding with stone echoing in response.

Eric bolted upright in shock, "What in the world was _that_?!"

Eric immediately shifted his gaze over to his right, where a crowd was slowly assembling. He ordered his carriage to be stopped and hopped off. He then approached the group, who all seemed to be gathering around a fallen woman.

"Excuse me, but what happened here?" he questioned politely.

"Oh, Prince Eric! Some lady wouldn't move out of the middle of the road and I-I tried to warn her to get out of the way, but she wasn't listening!" he explained.

"Did you ever think of stopping, perhaps?" Eric pointed out.

The little man flushed and looked down, suddenly very interested in his shoes.

Eric then looked down to where the young woman was laying, knocked out cold.

Her vibrant red hair was skewed all over the ground and it looked as if she was dressed in a sail or something. Not that he was one to judge based on that…

"Miss?" he asked, squatting down next to her. "Are you ok?"

There was no response.

Eric fell silent for a few moments, not failing to see the anxious gazes of the villagers around him. However, he couldn't help but notice that the more and more he looked at her, the more and more familiar she seemed. He still couldn't quite place who she was or where she had come from at the moment, but he knew he had seen her before.

"Miss?" he tried again.

Still nothing. He shook her shoulders a few times, trying to provoke a response, his stomach dropping. What was he supposed to do now that she wasn't waking up... ?

Then, the sun reflected off some piece of jewelry she was wearing, causing a harsh glare in Eric's eyes.

_What's this_? Eric thought inquisitively, deciding to inspect it. Maybe this could give him a clue as to who this young woman was.

Now, normally, he didn't like to get in people's business. In fact, he thought it was rude and inconsiderate, but this time, he was glad he had, for when he lifted that piece of gold from the woman's neck, he automatically recognized it.

_This is the necklace I gave Ariel_, he thought.

Indeed, there was the message he had engraved to her on the back. Dropping the necklace, he put two and two together, staring at her in shock, especially since two human legs were sticking out from under the cloth. Now, how on Earth had that happened?!

"You all can leave now," he said finally, clearing his throat. "I thank you for sticking around, but I can take it from here."

There were some murmured responses from the other villagers, but, for the most part, the group nodded, and, one by one, began to leave. When the very last group had gone, Eric gently slid his arms underneath her body, picking her up with care.

He carried her over to the carriage and set her down in the backseat, sitting down right beside her in the process, shooting a glance at Michael that seemed to make it clear to him that he not to say a word. As the carriage began to move, he brought her head to his lap so that he was able to stroke her hair lovingly. He could only hope with all his heart she would wake up and explain all of this to him soon...

Eric then found himself inspecting her face and suddenly noticed how slender her face was, and how pale it now appeared. He also admired how her red hair _really_ seemed to add the perfect touch to her face.

Never in this light had he really noticed how beautiful she truly was. Human or mermaid, she was absolutely stunning. He then moved his hand to brush a stray lock of red hair out of her eyes and smiled. That was really Ariel…

Then, a gasp, followed by an anguished groan, escaped from her lips as she brought her hand to her head.

"How did you do it?" Eric asked gently, not bothering to hide his astonished demeanor.

"Huh?" she replied quietly, blinking quickly to adjust to the sunlight.

"How did you become a human?" he whispered in awe.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"You _were_ a mermaid and now you're a human. How?" Eric said, becoming a slight bit frustrated. Why didn't she understand him?

"What? How is that even possible?" she cut in.

"Isn't that what you should be telling me?" he retorted.

"…I'm sorry," she said, feeling tears brimming in her eyes.

"It's alright," he soothed, gathering her up into his arms. "Don't cry. All that's important is that you're ok."

"I beg your pardon, kind sir, but who, exactly, are you?" she asked timidly after a few silent moments.

"Excuse me?" he asked incredulously.

"Who are you? What's your name?" she continued.

Eric felt as though his stomach drop down to his knees as his face paled considerably. "D-Don't you remember me? I-I'm Eric."

"Eric?" she repeated as he nodded. "Speaking of which, um, Eric, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. Anything. You know that."

"...Who am I?"

* * *

**Man, can you guys predict this story or what?! I was reading the reviews for the last chapter and I was thinking _man _they've got it figured out! But hey, there's an easy solution to that. ;)**

**Anyway, that ending pretty brutal of me, hm? Plus, we all missed Eric while he was gone. I'm so very sorry, but he's back for good now! Hehe, for good...  
**

**I know I say this every chapter, but I want to stress how much love every single one of my readers and reviewers. Thank you so much, you guys! I really enjoy reading your comments and responses to chapters!**

**As always, **

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**P.S. I'm going on vacation as of Saturday, so updates will be on temporary hiatus for two and a half weeks-ish. I'll write while I'm not near the computer, though, and be sure to update as soon as I get back. :)  
**


	14. For Her Own Good

**Basic Story Info.**

**Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
**Chapter Number**: 14  
**Chapter Title:** "For Her Own Good"  
**Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
**Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

"Who are you?" Eric repeated, dumbstruck. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

"Well, _I'm_ not so sure who I am either, so that's sort of why I was asking you," she explained innocently with a little laugh. "Perhaps my name would be a good place to start?" she suggested.

"Wait a second, you don't know your own name?" Eric inquired incredulously.

She shook her head sadly and he saw a shadow drift across her face; a sad aura suddenly lingering in the air. "A-All I can remember is that I was a mermaid-"

"Shh!" Eric warned, covering for her slip up. "Keep your voice down about things like _that_."

"What? Why?" she asked, confused.

"Wow, that must've been some fall you had," he remarked after a few moments with a nervous chuckle.

"I fell?"

Eric furrowed his eyebrows and nodded, "Don't you remember?"

She shook her head yet again, looking as if she was about to burst into tears.

In a motion to comfort her, he moved to sling his arm around her shoulders, but she flinched and quickly shrugged away the attempted embrace, a little taken aback at his guesture. He sighed in response and withdrew his arm, a little hurt.

What on Earth had happened to her that made her suddenly devoid of everything, memories and all? For sure, this was not the Ariel he remembered.

But then, it suddenly dawned on him: amnesia. Of course! That's probably why she wasn't remembering anything…

Plus, she _had _said that she knew she was a mermaid, but if she couldn't remember anything except that… well, that meant that she didn't remember the two of them, which was probably why she had shook off his arm so quickly, and, in addition, she probably didn't know why she didn't know anything.

Instantaneously, he could tell already that his life was about to get one hundred times more complicated.

"Ariel?" he called out quietly.

"What a beautiful name, that is!" she sighed in response.

"Yes, I know, it's yours," he grinned.

"Oh, really?! Are you sure?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm positive. Just trust me, ok?" he said reassuringly. "I'd never lie to you."

"Well, um, thank you, Eric," she smiled, looking down at her hands. "I really appreciate everything you're doing for me… even if I don't really know who you are. You are just _too_ kind."

"Oh, it's nothing really," he said modestly, feeling his face flush. _If you only knew how much you mean to me…_ he thought.

"Sir, excuse the interruption, but we've arrived at the palace," Michael announced timidly.

"So you're a prince!" Ariel exclaimed with bright eyes. "How wonderful!"

Eric shrugged, "Trust me, it's not really all it's chalked up to be. And sometimes, I really wish I wasn't a prince at all, but, anyhow, enough about that. Would you mind lending me a hand with that party stuff over by your feet there?"

"Why in the world would you possibly need all of this, Eric?" Ariel questioned, picking up as many bags as her arms could possibly manage.

"The palace is actually playing host to a ball in three days time, so that's probably why, but what do I know?" he said.

"Oh, a ball! Are you excited?" Ariel asked giddily.

Eric shook his head. "I'm really not one for dancing and socializing and such, but I honestly don't have much of a choice in the matter. But, if _you_ want to go… _with_ me, or something, though… I could make you a reservation or whatever, but if you don't, it's not a big deal. I mean I would not be hurt in the slightest if you didn't-" he rambled.

"I'd really like that," she interrupted.

"Alright, then," he beamed. "It's settled!"

Ariel nodded her understanding, while slightly staggering under the weight of all the bags she was carrying. She suddenly faltered sideways, her foot catching in the stone pathway, but, luckily, stumbled into Eric's waiting arms. Fortunately, all of the party supplies carried by both people were spared this time.

Her face blushed a bright red as she found herself gazing into his sea-blue eyes. "Sorry," she whispered. "These feet are kind of new."

"I figured," he chuckled. "But, hey, don't worry about it. I'll always be there to catch you if you fall."

"Thank you," she said sincerely, while managing to regain her footing.

"Now come on, the entrance to the palace isn't far!" he said, leading the way.

* * *

"Atina?" Triton called, peering into his daughter's room from behind the door. "Are you home, dear?"

"I'm here!" she answered. "Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, yes, thank you," he said, swimming inside and taking a seat on her bed. See, Triton had scoured the entire sea and back for the past day and had, so far, been unable to find Ariel _anywhere_ and he was beginning to become worried. Normally, he'd see her out and about somewhere, given the right amount of time, but there hadn't been so much as a clue as to where she was or where she had gone. So, he had decided to go to another source for information: his daughters.

"So, do you need something, Father?" she questioned, sitting down next to him.

"I was just wondering if…" he trailed off, wringing his hands together nervously.

"If?"

"You know where Ariel is," he finished.

Atina gulped. Of course she knew where her youngest sister was, but she wasn't about to tell her father that. "W-Why?"

"Because I owe her an apology," he said, sounding as if he was on the brink of tears himself.

"What happened, Daddy?" she questioned anxiously.

"I was too hard on her," he mumbled. "I yelled at her for going to the surface again…"

"Well, you can't blame curious minds," she shrugged.

"I know that now... and I need to sincerely apologize to her for my ways, but I can't seem to find her _anywhere _so that I can do that, you see? In that respect, I was hoping you could help me, my daughter… I just don't want her to end up like her mother," he trailed off.

"Her body was never found, you know," Atina added. For some reason, Atina had always had the feeling that she wasn't being told the whole story about her mother; that she only knew bits and pieces, but not the whole picture. But, then again, what did she know?

"I'm _really _sorry, Daddy, but I haven't seen her," Atina said, hoping to sound somewhat more convincing than she felt. "I'm sure she'll turn up sooner or later," she tried.

"Well, when you _do_ see her, Atina," Triton continued with knowing eyes. "Tell her that I'm very, very sorry and that she needs to come back home… back to the place where she belongs."

"Okay, Daddy," she said as he kissed her forehead. "I trust no one has looked harder for her than you in these past hours, but did you ever think maybe she doesn't want to be found? That maybe she likes where she is… _wherever_ she is since I obviously don't know."

Triton laughed at the mere idea of what his daughter was suggesting. "She's got a wonderful life here in Atlantica with a very caring soon-to-be husband and family and kingdom all looking up to her. Tell me, what does she have anywhere else that she doesn't have under the sea?"

_True love, _Atina thought as she shrugged, even though she completely disagreed with her father. She knew the family part was true; the sisters had already proved their worth on that ground, but Ariel, for one, had a somewhat caged life that was anything but happy. It was completely controlled by her father and her… what _was_ he? A suitor?

Well, whatever Jordan would be classified as, he didn't make Ariel's life "wonderful." More like a living nightmare, but that was sort of out of the question now that Ariel, presumably, had found her way around in the human world.

Oh, well, keeping Ariel's secret, was, for the most part, merely for her own good. Unless she wanted Daddy coming after her…

"That's what I thought," Triton chuckled, breaking Atina from her thoughts. He winked and began to swim off, "Good night, dear."

* * *

Nighttime was now just beginning to fall over Prince Eric's kingdom. The young prince had, however, since delivered the long-forgotten party supplies back to Grimsby, whose questionings as to why it took so long, he skillfully avoided. He had also handed Ariel off to the maids.

In the meantime, he still couldn't believe that Ariel was suffering from _amnesia_, which he had had confirmed earlier by the palace doctor… He wasn't convinced, though, that it was a permanent bout; just temporary. It was the mere idea of _what_ to do with her in that time she didn't have her memory that stumped Eric. Was he supposed to help her build it back the best that he could or just not tamper with it and leave her with the remanents of her thoughts as they were now. As he saw it, the situation was a very... complex conumdrum that required more thought _before_ he took action instead of making a rash, spur of the moment decision now.

_It figures_, Eric then thought. Just when she finally figured out a way to become human, she couldn't remember who she was or, more importantly, who _he_ was. She didn't remember their history together, which included the necklace and the kiss…

Eric sighed and made his way through the castle, realizing in an instant that his feet had automatically carried him to the guest room; the room where Ariel was residing. He didn't want to bother her if she was still settling in, but he _was_ already there so... what more harm could be done by paying her a friendly visit?

"Ariel?" he knocked. "Ariel? It's me, Eric."

She answered a few moments later, opening the door. "Oh, Eric! Hello!"

"Hi, there. You, uh, clean up well," he grinned, his eyes flickering over her nightgown-clad figure.

"So... would you like to come in or…?" she asked, gesturing into her room.

"Sure," he nodded as he followed her inside, taking a seat on the bed next to her.

"Ok, wait, before we talk about anything else, can you please tell me who you are?" Ariel asked. "I'm sorry, that probably sounds _really_ weird, but I have to have sort of a clue as to who my rescuer is."

Eric nodded quickly, feeling obliged to do so because, after all, she probably still thought that he was some creepy stranger, or something.

"Well, I'm Eric, as you know, and I'm seventeen years old. For the record, I do _not_ have a wife at this point in time," he winked. "I'm, uh, the prince and ruler of this kingdom and you and I... we're sort of a coup-" he cut himself off. "We're just two friends. Two _best_ friends," he corrected himself.

_I am such a hypocrite!_ Eric thought sadly. _I promised her I would never lie to her and look there! I've gone back on my word already!_

Point blank, he was paying for it, too, for was probably the most _painful _thing he had ever had to say in his life. Then again, the way Eric saw things, it was merely for her own good. And then, when she remembered, she'd remember the two of them, but for now, just friends would have to do. "The two of us met on the beach one day-" he continued.

"Was I still a mermaid?" she whispered.

"Yeah," he answered. "But you don't have to whisper _now_ that it's just you and I. It's just in public that you have to do that."

"Why?" she asked.

"Well... how do I put this? People up here don't exactly... _believe_ in mermaids, so to say," he explained.

"What do you mean they don't believe in mermaids? They don't believe they exist?!"

"No, not quite. But _I_ do! I saw your tail a while ago... but it's not there now, obviously."

Ariel looked horrified. "Wow! You people have very strange customs here," she remarked.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure there are plenty of strange things going on under the sea, too, like turning mermaids into humans!" he shot back.

"Hey, that's not fair! I don't even know how it happened," she protested. "But it did."

"Well, maybe you'll remember someday," he sighed, defeated. Then, he smiled. "Oh! Before I forget, I put your name on the reservation list for the ball, too."

"Thank you," she said. "Do you suppose... that sometime... you could maybe take me shopping for something to wear for the ball, seeing as I really don't have all that much?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess," he said playfully. "I'm sure it could _probably_ be arranged."

"So, is that a yes or a no?"

"Yes," he said. "But only because you're making me."

"Hey, you don't have to go!" she protested.

"I'm just kidding!" he said, laughing. "Of _course_ I'll take you!"

"Oh, good," she sighed, relieved.

"You need to lighten up a bit, dear," he said, standing up. "Well, you go catch some sleep, okay?"

She nodded, "Okay, I'll see you in the morning, right?"

"I think so… unless I run away during the night," he joked. "Anyway, sweet dreams, my little mermaid," he bade, leaning down to kiss her cheek. But, this time, she didn't pull back; she allowed it. It was almost as if she had let her guard down for a moment…

Before he left, he noticed she was still wearing the necklace as well, which shimmered in the bright light of the room, even though she probably had no clue what it was.

He beamed at the mere thought of her and the necklace as he turned on his heel to leave. "Sleep well, my Ariel," he called out one last time.

"You too," she managed, still genuinely speechless as she brought her hand up to her cheek where he had kissed it. A thought briefly flashed across her mind that made her wonder, for just a moment, if the two of them had ever been anything _more_ than just two friends...

On the other hand, however, the way _Eric_ was now seeing things, just because _she_ didn't remember their relationship didn't mean _he _had to forget it.

* * *

**Wow! 7 pages! That's special, you guys! I **_**was**_** going to cut it off 3 pages ago, but I figured Eric and Ariel needed some more dialogue together. Man, it's too bad Ariel doesn't realize all the flirting Eric's doing… And Jordan is going to probably come back into the picture soon, and, you know, when he comes **_**nothing**_** can go right. (:**

**Well, new or old reviews are always welcomed and appreciated. I love you all very much for taking the time out of your day to drop me a little note and I love you even more for even deciding to read this little creation of mine. All the thanks in the world goes out to you guys. **

**Alright, another update is in the works, so keep your eyes out!!**

**Until next time,**

**Dreaming Wide Awake**


	15. Déjà Vu

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 15  
** Chapter Title:** "Déjà Vu"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

Resorting to the likes of black magic, or anything affiliated with it, was pretty much the last thing Jordan _ever_ wanted to do, or be seen doing, in his life. He rather preferred to steer clear of that type of thing, thank you, but when measures proved desperate, it might as well have been his last chance at answers. Answers, more specifically, as to what his..._ little friend_ was up to. After all, the last time he had seen her was when she had fought with her father over matters concerning humans, which was quite a while ago to say the least, and he was demanding to know where she was right this very instant.

And although he had not received a single answer from anyone yet, he had a feeling he already knew where she might be. As a side thought, why ever on Earth she enjoyed being around those despicable _humans_ was beyond him, but if he had any say, or power, in the matter whatsoever, she wasn't going to get any closer to that man. That fish-eating _barbarian_! She belonged to him and to him alone and he wasn't going to rest until she was his wife. No matter what it took or who it hurt, Jordan was going to accomplish his mission; there was just no doubt about it.

The young merman continued to swim confidently through the darkest depths of the ocean. Consequently, there happened to be no sunlight at all in this devoid area of the sea, which wasn't really a big surprise, but it didn't matter anyway, for he could see just as well through the dark as he could through the subsequently lighter waters.

Rounding around the corner, he spotted just what he was looking for: the witch's lair. It was in an odd type of shape, and glowed an incandescent shade of purple, providing a light that pierced through the seemingly endless darkness around him.

The head, or better known as entrance to her lair, resembled an eel. It stared straight ahead with a leering expression, sort of an _I dare you to come any closer_ type of look that made Jordan feel a little uncomfortable. Its mouth hung wide open and the back looked like a carefully structured pattern of coral, too. To add to the effect, there was a type of steam that was being emitted from the ground, which seemed a little odd to say the least.

It, clearly, was quite daunting, for sure, but what else would you expect from a sea witch?

Cautiously, Jordan made his way closer to the entryway, beginning to have second thoughts about what he was really doing. Maybe he should just turn around now...? _No! _he harshly reprimanded himself. _This is for Ariel._

As he made his way inside, he noticed hundreds of thousands of little brown... _creatures_ swaying and making moaning-like noises on the ground. They looked at him with wide eyes, warning eyes, as if signaling him to turn around and go home right now, that nothing good could possibly come out of a deal with Ursula; that that black magic she was associated with was just trouble waiting to happen.

Regardless, he lifted up his head proudly and puffed out his chest, completely ignorant to those _things_, and continued onwards conceitedly. Besides, what did they know, anyway? He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would show up," a voice called expectantly from across the room.

Jordan flinched at the mere sound of her voice, while squinting to get a better look at her. After a few moments, he finally saw her enormous octopus figure emerge from a rather large and darker-colored shell suspended from the ceiling. She, honestly, turned out to be bigger than he remembered her to be; she was at _least_ four times his size, which scared him just a little bit more. This definitely was not something he anticipated, but he supposed that phrase "expect the unexpected" should have been taken into consideration with this matter.

"Ursula," he finally spoke, his voice shaking slightly. "Always a pleasure."

Not really. It had always frightened him to death when his father came to do business with Ursula, but it couldn't hurt to be polite, right?

"Come in, come in, dear," she beckoned. "I'm sorry I don't have a better place for you to sit, but I expect it won't be long?"

Jordan nodded as she began to move again, taking her time in making her way over to her purple vanity set. Not to mention, those tentacles of hers followed behind her hauntingly, tormenting Jordan's mind mercilessly. He had always had nightmares about those arms strangling him when he was least expecting it...

"So, you need some help with this woman of yours?" she drawled.

"I just need to know if she's okay," he said quietly. "That's all."

Ursula raised her eyebrows with a smug smirk. "That's it?"

Jordan flushed a deep shade of red, "Yeah."

"Ok, wait a minute, you're telling me that you practically risked your _life _to come out here just so that I could perform a simple vision spell to show you your girl? One that could have easily been conjured up by your father?" she asked, a little surprised. "That's really saying a lot, kid."

Jordan sighed. "I didn't want my father to do it, Ursula. He wouldn't understand... I would've done it myself, too, granted I knew how, but since I don't, the next best person for the job would be you, so can we just get this over with?" he asked impatiently.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, anything for the son of Neptune," she obliged. "I owe him my deepest gratitude, for your daddy dearest got me out of quite a few sticky spots... Now, this is going to show what she has been doing the past day, or so, okay?"

Jordan nodded his understanding. She then floated over past him and nearer her cauldron, while throwing in assortments of ingredients. She muttered some garbled, almost inaudible words that sounded like crazy-talk to him. Suddenly, a bubble arose from the center of the pot and, at first, showed nothing but scrambled images. Given a few moments, the images smoothed and revealed Ariel, his Ariel, standing tall on two human legs!

"How did she do that?!" he yelped in surprise, flinching at the mere sight of her. _How dare she turn into a human without my permission!_ he thought angrily at the same time.

"How else?" the witch said smoothly. "With the trident, of course."

He gulped. Why hadn't he thought of that? He watched on further as she stumbled on her new legs and made her way into a place infested with humans. He observed as she gazed on in awe at all the new things surrounding her, but was suddenly hit by some sort of a transportation device. It looked like a horse and carriage type of thing to him, but he wasn't one-hundred percent positive about that. He found himself cringing and turning away as she conversed with her human _prince_ and watched on, almost dissolving into tears of envy, as that man caught her when she slipped sometime later. Jordan finally couldn't take it anymore. After the guy had lovingly kissed her cheek, he had had enough.

"Stop it!" he cried, turning his back to the caldron. "Make it go away," he said, voice quivering.

Inside, Jordan's heart was breaking, causing him to experience an upwind of emotions. He was angry that she had total disregard over him and went up to the surface without consulting him first, not that he would've ever let her go, but that was beside the point.

And the fact that that _human_ was everything that Jordan, well, that Jordan was not, pained him even more. That guy was gorgeous and not to mention funny, judging by how many times she had giggled while she was talking to him. And he was in love with her too, what with all the nervous chuckling and blushes and _kisses!_

Jordan longed to show Ariel that same affection that she was getting up there, but it looked as if someone else had already beaten him to the punch. _He_ wanted to hug and kiss her and have her beautiful blue eyes staring at _him _lovingly.

And, for the record, he truly did love Ariel, a lot, but he just had a really odd way of showing it.

"If it would help, the prince just mentioned taking the two on a tour of the kingdom today. Maybe you could go and cause some mayhem there?" she suggested.

Wheels starting turning in his mind immediately; why was it Ursula always knew the right thing to say?

"Oh, that's terrible," he said after a few moments with a grin. "I like it."

"And if worse come to worse, we can always just transform you into a human and you can drag her back down here yourself," she continued. "That wouldn't be totally out of the question."

"I loathe those humans," Jordan spat. "I don't want to be one of them!"

"Calm down," the witch soothed, placing her (actual) hand on his shoulder. "She is in love with a human, isn't she? Becoming one of them may be the only way to get what... who... you want."

Jordan looked up thoughtfully, intrigued by the mere thought of what the witch was now suggesting. That idea might have been so crazy that it just might work.

* * *

It was pretty early the next morning when Ariel arose; she didn't even think that the sun had risen yet, for she could still see little silver sparkles apparent in the night sky out her window. Oh, what were they called? Sticks? Steaks? Stars, maybe?

Ariel shook her head, mystified at how those words seemed to just pop into her head. How was it that she could remember words like 'steak' and 'star', but couldn't hardly remember her own name? Of course, Eric had filled her in to a tolerable degree, but it was still quite a feeling she was experiencing, for she _knew_ that she only had bits and pieces of what and who she was before. It would be very easy for someone to... take advantage of her state of mind when she was so vulnerable.

She shivered at the mere thought of it. _Who would _ever_ do such a thing?_ She could only hope and pray that she was in good hands when she was with Eric.

Eric. Why was it every time she thought of him, she had to smile? She thought about him in the carriage, and when he caught her, and how he had looked when she had seen him last night, and that kiss on the cheek... and she automatically smiled. She was even smiling now!

She supposed that being a prince seemed to have the effect on people.

Yawning, she dragged herself out of bed to get dressed. She headed over to the closet, where the maids had put her loner clothing for safe keeping, which was just a couple of dresses to say the least, but she was very grateful for the hospitality nonetheless.

After some contemplation, she finally decided to wear a dress that had three shades of blue to it, a dress that almost reminded her of the sea itself.

One shade was a sky-blue, that was the, um, bottom, skirt-like part to the dress. The next was a deep blue, like the ocean at night, and hugged her stomach up to her chest. She heard something about it being called a corset from one of the maid's conversation earlier, but she wasn't positive that's really what it was. And then, there was pale blue, the color of the early morning sky, for everything else required on the piece, plus the sleeves. That was a lot of blue to wear, for sure, but Ariel thought it looked very pretty on her. Plus, hadn't Eric mentioned he loved the sea? That little subtle hint could turn out to be an extra perk, too!

She giggled as she slipped on dark blue heels to match that middle part of her dress, loving the way they automatically made her taller. Really, they may have hurt her feet very badly when she wore them for too long, but she adored them all the same. She had learned that lesson the hard way the night before when she had first tried heels with the maids present and then refused to take them off she liked them so much. She was paying for that stunt now, for her feet ached terribly. Oh well, she'd live.

Shoving that thought out of her mind, she made her way over to the bathroom. She brushed her hair and gently assembled it into a nice hairstyle, complete with an jaunty blue bow tied in just for a nice touch to her dress.

She reached over near the mirror and carefully lifted her gold necklace from where it was residing. She had been wearing it when she came here and she supposed that she would wear it while she was here, too. It seemed to be very important...

She turned it over in her hands, examining it closely. It was medium-sized and solid gold in the shape of a heart with a little diamond pattern in the middle. It was also ingrained with some type of regal symbol at the very bottom, the same one that she recognized from the back of Eric's carriage and that also appeared on the napkins at dinner. It must've been his royal crest, or something.

One thing, however, caught Ariel's attention, for on the back of the necklace, located above another one of those the little symbols, in delicate cursive handwriting, the necklace read "I love you, my Ariel."

Ariel nearly had a heart attack at the sight of it. 'I love you'? Wait, Eric had said they were just friends, best friends. To her, 'I love you', honestly, didn't constitute friends, but something more along the lines of lovers, perhaps. Ariel gasped at that thought. _Lovers_? Surely Eric would have told her right away about something so important... right?

She continued to stare at the necklace for some moments longer, even after the initial shock had faded away. Somehow, secretly, her stomach jumped and her heart soared at the thought of her and Eric as a couple. A _couple_! Imagine that!

From what she knew already, he was handsome and sweet and loving and funny... the list could go on all day! And hey, why not? What would stop them from loving each other? She knew automatically _why_ she would've picked him.

_Oh, wait, _she thought sadly. _People up here didn't believe in mermaids._ Eric would to have had to keep the two of them a secret... as did she, since mermaids loathed humans, after all, or were they supposed to, anyway. Somehow, judging by the necklace, that didn't stop him though.

She sighed and clasped the necklace around her neck, fingering it lovingly. She made herself a mental note to ask Eric more about it later.

She headed over to her door, finally done with getting dressed, and, with ease, managed to find her way to the grand staircase. How? She had no idea. As a side thought, this castle sort of reminded her of how her castle at home was set up... sort of. Perhaps that was why.

As a precaution, she watched her feet most of the way down the stairs, careful not to make a misstep or trip over herself. But, unfortunately, she was so intent on staring at her shoes that she completely missed a step and began falling face-first down the stairs. So much for that idea.

She squeezed together her eyes tightly as she fell, bracing herself for a hard impact, but, to her surprise, it never came. She opened her eyes in awe, only to find herself, once again, in Eric's arms.

"Good morning," she said weakly, feeling her face flush.

"That's twice in two days, Ariel," he grinned boyishly. "Tell me, is that a just habit of yours? Falling all over stuff?"

"Well, as soon as I figure out how to work my own two feet, I'm sure I'll be just fine," she responded. And yet, she couldn't deny that she would keep falling over and over again if it meant landing in Eric's arms each time. That thought was strangely comforting, considering that she could've been severely injured by that fall or ones that followed...

He set her back on her feet a few moments later, perhaps lingering a little too long with his grasp on her arms. She didn't seem phased, however.

He also couldn't help but notice she was very nicely dressed in a pale blue blouse, sky-blue skirt and deep blue corset. It really made her eyes and hair look very nice... And she was wearing the necklace. "So, I was actually just looking for you," he said. "Since you need a dress for the ball anyway, would you like to spend a day with me in the kingdom?" he asked nervously. "You don't have to, but I just figured-"

"Yes, of course I do!" she said giddily. "That would be great!"

"Splendid!" he said, beaming. "I've got the carriage set up and everything, so shall we get going?"

Ariel nodded and followed in his footsteps.

On the way, something caught her attention (big surprise!): a showcase of little instruments, or something of those sorts. She tugged on Eric's arm to stop him, "Say, what _are_ those?" she asked, intrigued, while pointing to his collection.

"Those?" he questioned, nodding his head towards the case.

She nodded. "Yeah, I've never seen _anything_ like it before!" she marveled.

"Those... are called a recorders and you make music with them. I have one for every one of my birthdays," he said proudly. Man, déjà vu, much?

"Wait, but... there's only... fifteen there," she counted. "You said you were seventeen?"

"I, um, lent one to someone," he said with a knowing smile. Well, truthfully, it wasn't that much of a lie. "And I didn't really get a chance to pick another one up this year for my birthday."

"Oh," she said. "You must've been very busy!"

"You could put it that way," he said, some birthday memories drifting back into his head for a brief moment. He then slipped his arm around her waist, turning her and leading her over to the front doors, "Come on, we can talk about that stuff later! You're going to love this little town," he remarked.

Ariel wasn't even listening to a word he was saying, however, for she could feel herself practically melting on the inside. Just looking at the place of his hand on her waist out of the corner of her eye was enough to make her want to scream in delight. And the fact that he wasn't moving it, either, made her even more giddy. _Whoever this guy is_, Ariel decided, _has a good way of conveying his intentions._

"Prince Eric!" an elderly voice called behind them.

The two stopped in their tracks and turned around to face the man who was speaking. Nonetheless, his hand was still there on her waist, which was still all that really mattered right now.

"Hey, Grims," Eric greeted somewhat awkwardly.

_That must be the manservant bent on getting Eric a wife, _she thought suddenly. _Wait,_ _what!?_

"So, you must be the young lady Eric spoke so fondly about," the man continued, acknowledging Ariel politely.

_Oh, Eric spoke fondly about me!_ She thought excitedly. _Fondly!!_

"Should you be requiring something, Grims?" Eric asked, trying to drop the man the hint that he could handle this matter on his own. He was, after all, perfectly capable of taking care of this gorgeous woman and himself without an escort, thank you.

"Ahem," Grimsby coughed, eying Eric's hold onto his companion with a stern expression. He had just now noticed it and, truthfully, he really wasn't one to tolerate Eric's public displays of affection, especially on girls he hadn't personally approved and, much less, gotten to know yet. But it was to no avail; the woman seemed content with it there and Eric seemed determined to keep it there amidst all of Grimsby's little hints. There was nothing further he could really do about it.

"I-I just wanted to see off your carriage ride," the man declared with a sigh, ushering the two outside. "I hope the two of you have a... a marvelous time."

* * *

**And right they will.**

**Now, is it just me or has anyone noticed that Ariel may have lost her memory, but she's still pretty sharp? Perhaps maybe she knows more than she thinks she does. For instance, she figured out how to get dressed on her own without any complications and, wait, Eric never mentioned his love for the sea... did he? Oh, well, never mind about all of that! I don't know what I'm even going on about. (:  
**

**Anyway, I'm working on the chapter sixteen as you read this, so the next update will probably come within the next couple of days. Reviews are welcomed and _greatly _appreciated, as always.  
**

**Much love,**

**Dreaming Wide Awake**


	16. Liar, Liar

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 16  
** Chapter Title:** "Liar, Liar"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

As Prince Eric's carriage set off, led by two beautiful white horses (_he_ had thought her their name!) up front, Ariel found herself both nervous and excited at the prospect of what the two had set out to accomplish today.

Of course, she definitely didn't want to get off on the wrong foot with anyone when they got there. What if she said or did something that she wasn't supposed to and completely embarrassed herself and Eric...? What if she did something wrong and ended up getting hurt again? On the other hand, though, she also couldn't wait to see the kingdom, almost to the point that she couldn't keep still as the carriage carried them closer and closer to town square with each passing moment.

And yet, there was still something that was bugging her; a little voice in the back of her head that nagged her to no end about the necklace clasped around her neck. For a slight second, she wondered if perhaps someone _other_ than Eric had given it to her... that that symbol that was showing up practically everywhere was just a huge coincidence, or something of the like. She hadn't really thought of that option before, but, somehow, her gut was telling her that, without a doubt, it was him. It had to be. _Well_, _there's only one way to find out... s_he thought with a sigh.

"Eric?" she spoke quietly, while wringing her hands together nervously. "May I ask you a question?"

"Haven't we been over this already?" he said with a smile. "_Of course_ you may."

"Well, I was... just wondering... about this n-necklace I'm wearing," she managed, fingering the piece of jewelry for emphasis."Do you know anything about it?"

Eric gulped, his smile slowly fading. He took his time in focusing his attention on the dirt road in front of him before answering. "Y-yeah, it's funny you should mention it, really. I-I actually was the one... who... who gave it to you."

_Knew it_, she thought silently. "So, um, you l-love me, then?" she stuttered, looking down at her feet as her face flushed in embarrassment. "You told me we were just best friends..."

"Look, Ariel-" he started. He stopped himself mid-sentence and harshly pulled the reins to the side, pulling the horses over onto the side of the road. This was because he figured he'd rather be polite and focus his full attention on her instead of on maneuvering the carriage for this explanation. "I-I'm s-sorry I didn't tell you this right away and I feel absolutely _terrible_ for lying to you about us, too, even after I promised you that you could trust me. But I'm not lying to you now when I say that... that... w-we were sort of a... a c-couple before you lost your memory," he explained with a nervous gulp. "I-I was afraid to tell you. I mean, you already didn't have your memory, so, with your plate full, I didn't think you'd really want to bother with me... and our relationship... and stuff..."

"Oh," Ariel said softly after a few moments. "Okay."

"I'm _really_ sorry, Ariel. ...Can you ever forgive me?" he pleaded, taking her hands in his.

"Oh, yes! Yes, of course," she answered lightheartedly, feeling her spine tingle at his gesture. "I was just curious, that's all."

"So... we're good?"

"Yeah," Ariel said, flashing a smile as Eric directed the ponies back on the road. "We're great."

_Hm, so much for not starting off on the wrong foot, _she thought afterwards. She had gone and made things all weird and uncomfortable between the two with her question, especially judging from the awkward silence that had since settled between the two of them.

Needless to say, now she knew that she meant more to Eric than just a friend, which was a strangely comforting thought in its own. He really _loved_ her... and she had this necklace and his word to show for it. It was just too bad she couldn't return the favor and remember her feelings for him...

Indeed, the more and more she thought about it, she really _was_ quite fond of the idea of the two of them together. Then, another question struck her. How far had the two gotten? She couldn't help but wonder if he had kissed her yet... Well, she'd surely remember something _that_ important, right? This time, however, she decided to keep that question to herself. Things were already somewhat tense and definitely awkward already, so there was no need to go and make it any worse.

Her thoughts then began to slowly shift from one thing to the another as they drew closer to the little village. She could already hear the chattering of the townspeople nearby, so she knew they were getting very close to their destination.

And then, as the carriage rounded a turn, the town came into clear view.

Ariel's mouth nearly dropped open at the mere sight of the place. She could hardly resist the urge to giggle in delight at all the new and wonderful things she was seeing. So she did.

Eric pulled the carriage over down the road a little ways, absolutely delighted to see the red-head's exalted expression. He chuckled as she quickly jumped out of the carriage and grabbed his hand eagerly, beginning to point out various things to him. _Excited, much?_ Then again, he couldn't blame her; she probably had never seen half of these things before.

"Oh, oh! What's this?" she asked, gesturing to a large, oval-shaped object.

"That would be a watermelon," he said. "You cut it up and eat the fruit inside."

"Woow!" she marveled, her eyes sparkling. "It's beautiful!"

"So, you've never seen one of them before, I take it?" Eric spoke. He mentally kicked himself immediately afterwards, though: of course watermelons didn't grow underwater! Then again, he didn't think mermaids existed and he definitely didn't think they could change into humans willingly, either, so there actually was a very good chance that there _was_ some weird, magical thing that somehow allowed them to grow fruit under the sea...

"No, I haven't! We don't have _anything_ as wonderful as this under the sea," she explained in awe.

She also pointed out a variety of other things as well: apples, chickens, pizza, buttons, hats, shoes, cups, small children. You name it, she marveled at it and he elaborated on its purpose.

Finally, after some more goggling and explanations, the two had made their way down the street to the dress store. It was a small shop, but Eric had known the owner and her husband for years and he trusted that they'd help Ariel find the right dress, since he obviously didn't really know where to begin with such feminine matters.

Ariel then took the liberty of wandering into the dress shop on her own, so by the time Eric finally realized she had gone in by herself, the women inside had already sent her back to the dressing room. All she had had to say was "Ball" and they had immediately appeared with armfuls of dresses for her to try on.

As he walked through the front door, he noticed that the shop hadn't changed a bit since the last time he had been. It was still a cozy little place with pale-blue painted walls and lacy-white curtains. There were, and always had been, seemingly endless displays of dresses and other nice clothing galore. There were even a few books placed up front to display the special custom ordered dresses available for purchase. However, it seemed a tad bit odd to him that there wasn't a single other customer in sight. That, honestly, was a first. Perhaps it was just a slow day for shopping, or something?

"Prince Eric!" the owner, better known as Bella, greeted, breaking the young man from his thoughts. She rushed over to him, a bright smile plastered upon her face, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss both of his cheeks. Yes, she had always been a rather... petite woman. "It's so good to see you! It must have been _ages_ since we last spoke!"

"Ah, Bella, likewise," he returned politely.

"So, what brings you to my little shop?" she inquired as he settled himself into one of the available chairs near the dressing rooms. They, too, were just like he remembered: soft and mighty comfortable, if he did say so himself.

"I'm actually here with the pretty little redhead," he explained with a grin. "You might've seen her wander here in a few minutes ago?"

Bella raised her eyebrows and smiled knowingly. "You wouldn't perhaps be _courting _that said pretty redhead, would you?"

"I beg your pardon, Miss, but that's not your place," Eric stated, exasperated. Was it really _that _obvious?

"My apologies, Eric. I didn't mean to offend you."

"That's alright. She was actually in an accident yesterday," he continued. "She got a nasty bout of amnesia and can't remember who she is or where she came from. I took her in shortly thereafter and told her about the ball and she wanted to attend. So, here we are," he shrugged. "I can only hope you can find her a suitable dress."

"Ah, that is very kind of you to take the young woman under your wing. And don't you worry, we'll find her one that's absolutely stunning," Bella assured. "You just wait here and we'll have her fit for a prince in no time," she winked.

Eric laughed nervously at that remark. _What _was _she __playing at?_

* * *

Hours passed.

Dress after dress had been tried on, but none of them seemed just right, according to Ariel, that is. Some were too big, some too small, some too baggy, some too bold, some too... odd.

And here Eric was thinking that they'd be in and out right away, but he'd been proven wrong since _at least_ five hours had passed already. Okay, maybe not _five_, but it had felt like it, anyway. C'mon, wasn't _anything_ ever easy anymore?

"Don't worry, dear, we'll find you just the right dress. We just haven't come across it yet," he heard Bella assure her.

Eric felt like groaning, for she had tried on nearly every dress in the store; wasn't there something, anything, that would work for her?

Standing up to stretch, Eric let his eyes briefly wander over the display of dresses. There was certainly a wide assortment of options available, that was for sure. Some possible styles included a purple number with an odd arrangement of orange polka dots... one with a unique pattern of pastel blue and green flowers...

And then, suddenly, there was one that caught his eye. Had Ariel tried that one on yet? He didn't think she had...

Picking up the hanger that held the dress, he couldn't help but think that it would look absolutely beautiful on Ariel; he could almost see her in it now! He was sure that both her eyes and vibrant hair would be complimented wonderfully by this choice.

Hastily, he hurried back over to the women and Ariel, holding up his contribution. "How about this one?"

He watched on proudly as her face lit up at the mere sight of it. She rushed over to him, dropping another dress she was holding on her way, to examine the piece closer. "It's... it's _perfect_, Eric!" she whispered, looking back up at him. She smiled, elated, and hugged him tightly. _Just perfect_, she thought as she pulled away. Even better, she discovered that it was just her size.

And to think, it was _Eric _of all people who had discovered her ideal ball dress. Go figure.

"Now, now, have a wonderful time at the ball, dear," Bella said. "You'll look absolutely beautiful!"

"Thank you for all your help," Eric returned.

"Yes, thanks for putting up with me," Ariel added, giggling.

"Oh, don't mention it!"

"Anytime!"

"The pleasure was all ours!" they chorused.

The two then spun around on their heels and headed back towards the exit.

"Thank you for taking me out to do this," Ariel said sincerely. "I really appreciate it."

"It was the least I could do," he responded, slinging his arm around her waist yet again. Hey, he just couldn't resist himself. Plus, what harm was it going to do, anyway? "You're going to look amazing," he whispered, while kissing her temple, which caused her face to blush a bright red. "I mean, you always do, but..." he trailed off.

Behind them, Bella shifted on her feet and crossed her arms, watching the two with raised eyebrows. "He's such a little liar!" she whispered with a knowing grin, the comment made more to herself than to anyone in particular. "He's got it _bad_."

* * *

**That update was long overdue, I know. Things got kind of hectic around here, so I apologize for not being able to post this sooner.  
**

**Anyhoo, I don't know if you guys saw it or not, but I actually posted a new story called _Love Sneaks In_ yesterday (and I don't know why I did that because I can barely keep up with this one as it is...), so if you could go check that out (if you haven't already), I'd appreciate it! Thanks _a lot_ in advance!  
**

**Much love,**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**P.S. Reviews are loved and appreciated, as always. :)**


	17. Spontaneity

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 17  
** Chapter Title:** "Spontaneity"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

After Eric had given his guest a personal tour of the little town and the two had wandered around the place a little while longer, he decided to take her out for a bite to eat down on the beach front, insisting that there was a delicious, family-run Italian restaurant there that she simply _had_ to try. Plus, he knew for a fact the view of the ocean at that particular spot _was_ quite beautiful during the early hours of the evening.

As the night progressed, he did his best to keep her attention diverted from the specialty seafood diner next door, as well. How he would explain _that_ to her if she saw it was completely beyond him, but he was, in fact, successful in keeping her occupied and completely clueless on the going-ons in the neighboring restaurant throughout dinner.

As the two took up residence in the carriage yet again after their meal, the two of them couldn't help but feel completely content as they watched the scenery roll by.

Ariel, for one, was delighted that she had spent the _whole_ day with Eric; just the two of them moseying around town for a while. She had become quite fond of Eric in that time, too, especially because, over the course of the day, he had accomplished the task of picking out her dream dress (something even she had thought was impossible) and had treated her to lovely dinner, which had consisted of a delightful combination of what she learned was called "spaghetti" and "pizza."

Needless to say, Ariel found herself immensely enjoying every moment of one-on-one time they had spent together today, never _really_ wanting it to end. She had noticed, in the midst of it all, that, no matter what, they had always found something to talk about. Yes, it's strange, but entirely true. Eric had noticed the exact same thing, too.

It was as if the two never ran out of things to say to one another, whether it be tidbits about her life under the sea, discussed in hushed voices (of course), to details about the kingdom and the upcoming ball, one of the two (or both) always had something to say or contribute to the conversation.

At one point, he even began to recount to her some of his favorite memories about some times the they had spent together when she was still a mermaid, like the first time the two had met, for example. She only wished she could remember _her_ half of the story, too...

Nonetheless, it was still something, anything, that allowed her to spend just a moment longer with him. Plus, their time together normally ended up adding more to her severely lacking memory, as well, so, by all means, both notions were warmly welcomed in her book.

Ariel was pulled abruptly from her thoughts as the Eric drew the carriage to a stop, parking it in a small parting of trees and bushes. _But, wait, we're not at the castle yet,_ she thought, furrowing her eyebrows. _He must have something else up his sleeve... _

He then hopped out to briefly tend for the horses and she followed in suit, getting up to stretch her legs and inquire as to why he had stopped to suddenly.

Sensing her confusion, he turned around and smiled. "C'mon, a little spontaneity is always fun! And, trust me, I just know you're going to _love_ this place," he assured, gesturing Ariel to follow along behind him as he led the way.

She smiled and trailed behind along behind him, doing her best to safely maneuver through the potentially dangerous undergrowth beneath her feet. Ok, so, maybe heels hadn't been the best choice of footwear today...?

"It's not far now... Oh, look," he said eagerly, parting the bushes. "We're here."

"It's... it's... beautiful," Ariel whispered in awe, her eyes widening.

For there, right in front of her, was a beautiful lake, outlined in part by an a thick assortment of trees, flowers, and a variety of other shrubbery. There were also a couple of lovely, sparkling waterfalls near the eastern rim of the body of water. It looked as though, if you rowed far enough, you could reach the ocean, as well.

"It really is wonderful," she said at last.

"See? I told you so," he said with a smirk. "Look at that... the moon and stars are shining and the crickets and fireflies are out already..." he trailed off.

Ariel nodded alongside him, even though she had not the slightest clue what he was going on about. Truthfully, it seemed the better choice to just go along with it, but she was sure that whatever it was he was talking about was probably very beautiful.

"So, would you, maybe, like to go boating with me now that we're already out here...? It's really fun at this time of night," he asked hopefully.

"Oh, sure! I'd love to!" she said eagerly. For once, boating was something she knew (and remembered) quite a bit about, although she assumed the ship they'd be using would be smaller than those she was accustomed to seeing out on the open ocean.

She was right.

The boat Eric pulled out of a shed down by the waterfront was, indeed, small and comfortably seated two.

Although, she couldn't help but notice _how_ her and Eric were positioned together; they were literally "up close and personal," for lack of better word choice. To be more specific, if one were to look up, they'd automatically met the other's eye. Then, if they looked down, they'd notice the knee-to-knee fashion in which they both seated.

And yet, neither were the least bit uncomfortable.

The two then tried to sustain a proper conversation as Eric rowed on, but found the attempt futile, for both found their minds drifting back to how _close_ they were to one another and if that necessarily was a such bad thing, after all...

* * *

Jordan swam furiously towards the surface, as fast as his fins could possibly take him, determined to do something, _anything_, about his predicament with Arieland her "affair" with this _filth_.

See, he had already watched a good portion her day with that _human_ back with Ursula, in the same fashion that he had the last time, and had left her lair in an angry fit when he was what was coming.

Oh, yes, he knew that the two were going boating out on the lake, especially with such a romantic setting surrounding them, and he wasn't going to sit around and merely watch on as they... well, _you know_. He rather eat his own fin than watch on as the two locked lips.

Breaking through the surface, he did his best to navigate his path, finding the quickest way to the lake he had seen. It really hadn't taken all that long to get from where he was to where he was going; he seemed to just _know_ where it was without really even thinking about it...

Hm, it must've been a mer-man thing.

He was now a slight bit quieter with his swimming as he closed in on their boat. He actually found it quite easy to hide himself behind a rather large rock nearby their boat to watch in on the scene progressing in front of him until he could decide on what to do next...

* * *

As Eric continued rowing, he found himself captivated by Ariel, since they were, quite frankly, very near one another. And he couldn't bring himself to look at anything else... She really did look quite pretty in this light, if he did say so himself.

Stopping the oars, he brought the boat to a rest, deciding to give his sore arms the long-overdue break they deserved. In all honesty, his muscles weren't as big and strong as they appeared. Plus, it must've been _months_ since the last time he had rowed on open water...

"So, have you enjoyed the, um, human world so far?" he asked, trying to break the heavy silence that had since settled between them.

She nodded and smiled, "It's... it's really beyond my wildest dreams."

The two fell quiet again, each shifting awkwardly every so often.

Suddenly, as he looked at Ariel once again, he was struck with the sudden impulse...

He glanced up and directly into Ariel's eyes, which were watching his every move, trying decide what to do.

He knew almost at once that was _his_ moment.

He was going to kiss her with all he had to show her how much he meant to him... even if she didn't really have much of a clue who he was right now. The way he saw it, if she didn't know who he was after this, she'd probably never know.

It was now or never.

And it was almost as if Ariel sensed what he was up to, too.

But she, on the other hand, was conflicted, trying to decide quickly whether or not to accept or decline the kiss, especially since he was closing in on her. And fast.

She felt part of her wanting to kiss him (she _really_ did!), but she was reminded by little voices in the back of her head that he was still pretty much a stranger to her, however. And she wasn't one to go around kissing _any _stranger... But she _had_ gotten to know him today...

She then leaned almost imperceptibly towards him, choosing heart over mind, as he then shifted forwards, both of their eyes both slowly closing...

* * *

Jordan's mouth dropped in awe as he watched on, although the man's notion didn't really take him by surprise. He knew that kissing Ariel had probably been in that human's agenda since day one, but he wasn't going to just be a spectator as they went at it.

Diving forward, he swam over the where the boat was floating, himself deciding to act purely on his first instinct. He proceeded to slam up against the side of the boat, knocking both of its occupants out and into the water, satisfied with the two splashes that followed.

"I hope you drown," Jordan hissed into Eric's ear before slapping his face with his fin and swimming off.

It was now time for him to resort to "Plan B." There was no doubt about it.

He had no other choice.

* * *

As soon as Eric's boots found a solid surface, he stood up in the thigh-deep water, while coughing up some intruding water from his lungs. 

_I was _so _close..._ he thought dejectedly. _How did that boat tip over, anyway? That's the real question here... And what slapped me in the face??_

And, true, the more he thought about it, both of those questions and their potential answers seemed awfully fishy...

_It was probably just something weird in the water_, he decided with a sigh. _Or just my imagination._

He then heard something thrashing in the water next to him and immediately saw Ariel struggling to regain her balance. He grabbed a hold of her by both of her hands and hoisted her up.

"I've gotcha, it's okay," he assured, placing his arms around her waist to steady her. "I'm sure it's not easy to stand up in the mud in those heels of yours," he joked, although he knew it probably wasn't the right time to be cracking jokes, which probably explained why she wasn't laughing.

The two of them both waded over to the shore, neither of them uttering a word, Eric, in the meantime, making himself a mental note to come back for the boat later.

Noticing her shiver as they made their way back to the castle moments later, he immediately draped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in close next to him in an attempt to warm her up a little; happy that she didn't protest in the slightest, but merely smiled at him warmly. It _was_ all his fault she was like that in the first place... And, okay, he just wanted an excuse to get his hands on her in some way.

Alright, lesson learned: maybe a little spontaneity _wasn't_ always fun, after all...

* * *

**Author's note in the next chapter. (:**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	18. One Step Closer

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 18  
** Chapter Title:** "One Step Closer"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

The day was just dawning over Prince Eric's kingdom as the sun rose slowly in the east, painting the clear skies overheard lovely shades of pinks, purples, blues, and golds.

As this marvelous sunrise was occurring, Ariel found herself sitting on the beach, clothed in her comfortable sea-blue nightgown, as a spectator, with her knees pulled up protectively to her chest. Her eyes flickered over the sun, which was just peering over the horizon and blazing a fiery shade of orange, for a brief moment.

She sighed and looked down at the sand.

It had been three whole days and she still didn't know who she was _exactly_. She had gotten some little tidbits here and there from Eric, of course, but it wasn't quite the same. She did know, for sure, however, that she was a mermaid previously, but she didn't know_ how _she changed herself to be like him. It seemed that her memories were like that nowadays. She knew something, but she didn't. Odd.

She felt a stab of guilt as she instinctively reached for her necklace. It seemed her thoughts about it never ended! It literally never left her sight, either, much less her neck. Oh, how she longed to remember when she acquired it. Knowing the likes of Eric, the moment was sure to be bittersweet and romantic. _I love you, my Ariel, _his voice seemed to echo in her head.

Regardless of all the gaps in her memory, however, Ariel still knew instantly why she had befriended him and was, supposedly, in love with him, judging purely by the necklace, that is.

At this point in time, she felt like she was falling in love with him all over again. Or was it still the same love she felt before; it was just that she couldn't remember it? But wait, if she couldn't remember it, then it'd technically be love for the first time, right?

An aggravated groan escaped her lips; all of this was so confusing! Life would be _so_ much easier if none of this would have happened!

Memory or no memory, however, Ariel _always_ felt like she was going to melt when she saw Eric. He had charming looks and an enthralling personality that never ceased to surprise her. Point blank, he was just an... an amazing person. That still might've been a bit of an understatement, though...

He had tried to kiss her last night on the boat, too, so that was definitely a good sign!

Speaking of that, although that whole night had been a wave of emotions, she just couldn't figure out how the boat had tipped over. It didn't make sense.

And it wasn't like either of them had done anything to knock over the boat, so how was it the two of them ended up in the water...? And he had been _this_ close to kissing her before they were thrust into the lake so unexpectedly...

_Maybe that kiss just wasn't meant to be, _she thought with a sigh. _There's always a next time, though._

Ariel smiled thoughtfully and pulled herself to her feet, brushing off some left-over sand from her backside.

_Oh my goodness, the ball is today! _Ariel thought suddenly. She grinned and spun around, already imagining the wonderful time she'd have at the dance.

And, although she would be hesitant to admit it out loud, deep down, she hoped that Eric would spare a thought for her and remember to ask her for a dance, even if it wasn't a slow dance. It didn't matter to her, for a dance was a dance. But she _was_ careful not to get her hopes up because, as she had heard somewhere previously, if you don't get your hopes up too much, you can't end up all that disappointed. Theoretically, that is.

_Wait_, Ariel mused, tilting her head sideways in thought. _What?_

She sighed and shrugged to herself, continuing to stroll down the surf. Out of the blue, she started quietly singing to herself, but not just any song... it felt like a distant memory of some kind. She just couldn't put her finger on where it was from... If only she could put together the time and place! But, then again, it wasn't _really_ a song with words and everything. No, it was just a simple melody that sounded nice on the series of vowels she was using.

"Ariel?" A tender voice called out from behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "Hi."

He grinned and made his way over to her, continuing in her stride along the beach. "Just out of curiosity, do you know what it was that you were singing a minute ago?" Hey, it was worth a try, wasn't it?

"You heard me singing?" she replied weakly, while looking down at her feet, a little embarrassed.

"Well, not if you didn't want me to, I guess," he said. "But, if I _did_ hear you, your voice is very nice."

"Oh, thanks, but it's not really all that great," she admitted modestly. "And to answer your question... um, no. It sort of just popped into my head."

"Maybe I could help with that memory?" he said.

"Really? You know what it is?" she inquired, intrigued.

"Of course I do because I was the one who wrote it!" he laughed.

Ariel's eyes widened as her mouth shifted into the shape of an O. "Really? But-"

"Just let me explain, okay? About a week, two weeks, after we initially met on the beach, you came back for a visit," he continued. "I had lost almost all hope that I'd ever see you again, and, well, I went out to sit on that rock," he motioned, pointing out to their left. "That very rock over there. So, I played that very song on my recorder-"

"You mean those things you showed me yesterday? In the display case?" she asked.

"Yep."

"That's where I heard that then..." she concluded. "So, you couldn't sleep, either?"

"Nope. Grimsby has got me all worked up over the ball and all of its preparations and such," he said, shaking his head. "But, you know, that's ok. The sunrise is definitely a sight to see at this time of day, anyway."

She nodded. "I know! I was just watching it; it _is_ quite marvelous."

An uneasy silence settled over the two as Ariel clutched her other arm nervously and Eric shifted awkwardly on his feet.

"Are you, um, looking forward to the ball tonight?" Eric questioned, breaking the silence.

"Oh, yes!" she said excitedly. "I'm sure the whole night will be wonderful! It's just... I just... I'd feel better if..."

"What?"

"I don't really know how to dance," she admitted sheepishly. "Or if I do, I don't remember."

Eric looked at Ariel thoughtfully. "You know, I _could_ teach you now..." Blushing, he added, "But only if you want to."

She beamed. "Of course!"

He grinned and took her hand cautiously, kissing it to be polite. He continued to bow to her, "May I have a dance, milady?"

"Of course you may!"She obliged, curtsying back in response, eyes sparkling.

The two then came together. Ariel rested her left arm on his shoulder, while Eric wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He then took her right hand into his own and began leading her in a slow dance.

She rested her head on his shoulder, savoring his presence for all it was worth, while moving at the right times to match the movements he made. She then relaxed into the shape of his body as they swayed together, as one, some more.

Eric, meanwhile, was doing his best to conceal all the nervousness he felt, even though it was just him and Ariel. He was fighting the urge to just... grab her by the shoulders and kiss her now. He'd seen that idea backfire on him (i.e. last night), but maybe this would be different. Plus, there was no boat for them to fall out of this time.

On second thought, maybe he should just save it for the dance...

"You know what?" she said quietly.

"Hm?"

"I just thought of words to that song."

"Really? Let's hear it!"

"Well, it's only part of it, but... okay... _one step closer... to saying what you feel,_" she sang quietly, immediately feeling her face burn in embarrassment. Good thing her head was still safely positioned on his chest, where he didn't have a really good, clear view of her face.

"_One step closer..." _he sang back. "_To being understood_," he added, smiling softly at the lyrics they had just written.

She smiled, too, finding herself drifting back to her thoughts. She was currently mystified at how those words seemed to just pop into her mind... Even more puzzling, how did she knew what _dancing_ was and how on Earth had she been so good at it the very first time she tried?

Plus, how much more romantic could the scene get? C'mon, slow-dancing in the sand?

One moment, she had found herself trying rack her memory, but, the next thing she knew, she completely froze without warning.

"_Ok, well, humans... enjoy this hobby called dancing," some mysterious man with blonde hair and piercing green eyes explained. "It works like this..."_

_He took Ariel's left arm and rested it on his shoulder, while he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He then took her right hand into his own and began leading her in a dance, the mermaid and merman now floating gracefully in the water._

_The man twirled her around and dipped her down towards the ground, catching her a bit off-guard._

_He escalated her back upwards, catching her gaze. He then closed in on her, his lips becoming dangerously close to hers._

_Shocked, she pulled away, unsure of what to do next. One minute the two had been having a good time dancing, and then the next he was trying to kiss her? She definitely had the feeling that something was not right at all. _

"_What is it? What's wrong?" the boy asked, hurt laced in his voice._

"_Nothing... I just- I can't-" Ariel said, panicking. She pressed a hand to her head, a little perplexed._

"_I have to go," she said bluntly, beginning to float away. "See you later, Jordan_."

Ariel gasped, snapping back to reality, and slowly sank to the ground, beginning to sob quietly. She clung onto Eric's leg, tears streaming down her face, for she was completely oblivious as to who this "Jordan" fellow was and why he had danced with her, coincidentally, in almost the same way Eric had. Furthermore, why had he tried to _kiss_ her?

Overcome, Ariel burst into a fresh wave of tears, longing now more than ever to regain her memory back.

Eric then squatted down to her level, concern etched in his face. He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. "What's wrong?"

One moment they had been dancing nicely and the next she's was crying... "Was it something I did?"

"No, no, I saw something," she whispered, awe-struck. "I saw a memory, I think, but I don't know at all what it meant!" she continued, frustrated.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked soothingly. "I'm always all ears."

She shook her head and took a deep breath. After what she had seen, it didn't seem at all that smart of an idea to tell Eric about it. "I know, Eric, and I appreciate that," she said sincerely. "But I'd rather keep this one to myself, if you don't mind?"

"No, no, not at all. I respect that," he nodded, while hugging Ariel again.

"Thank you," she managed with a small smile.

Eric then noticed now more than ever how lovely her hair appeared in the early morning light and the beautiful way her eyes sparkled, even when she was upset.

He couldn't resist himself any longer. Oh no, he had to kiss her. Right now.

Cupping her cheek with his hand, he closed in on her, aiming for a nice and sweet kiss directly on those luscious lips of hers...

"Woof! Woof!"

Ariel pulled back, wide-eyed and startled, and staggered to her feet. "What's that?!" she panicked, looking utterly horrified.

"Calm down, it's just a dog!" Eric said weakly, getting to his feet as well. He, meanwhile, did his best to conceal his prevailing disappointment over _another_ failed kiss.

"A what?!" she asked.

"A dog!"

The barking was getting closer and closer and, sure enough, a rather large dog soon appeared, staggering through the sand. His hair was shaggy and appeared a mixture white and gray in places, and one could hardly see the dog's eyes through all that fur! How was that poor dog even able to see?

Ariel began to breathe heavily and clutched onto Eric's arm for support. "He looks very dangerous."

"Oh, he's probably just a stray, or something."

"What does that mean?"

"He ran away from home or he has no owner," Eric explained calmly. "If we're quiet, we could probably sneak away before he sees us."

But it was too late. The dog had locked in on the two. He came bounding over and pounced up on Eric and Ariel at the exact same time, knocking them back into the water behind them.

Coughing and sputtering, the two sat up, drenched in ocean water, trying to get the bitter salt out of their mouths and eyes. And, boy, it stung. Badly.

The dog was only amused further by this act and continued to begin to lick the side of Ariel's face. She found herself giggling at the mere sensation of that rough tongue against her cheek.

"It looks like you've found yourself a new friend," Eric remarked, while pulling himself to a standing position and smoothing back the wet hair from his face.

"Oh, Eric, he's so adorable! Can we keep him? Please?" she asked, ruffling his fur.

"You've sure changed your tune quickly," he said with a chuckle. "_He looks very dangerous_!" he mocked.

"Oh, but he's so _cute _up close!" she said, hugging the dog in delight. "Please?" she pleaded again with big eyes.

How could Eric resist that face? He looked from her to the dog and back again. The two were both _so_ adorable that he just... _had _to give in. "Okay, fine, we'll keep him." _Man_, _I hope Grimsby likes dogs..._

Ariel beamed and jumped to her feet. She then continued to wrap her arms around Eric's neck and kiss him repeatedly on the cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she managed between kisses.

"Eh, it's no problem," he blushed. _I should give her the things she wants more often..._

"So, what should we to name him? He's got to have a name, after all!" she said excitedly. "Ronald, maybe?"

"Ronald?" he asked in disgust. "I don't think so."

"It was just a suggestion," she shrugged. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"Hm, how about... Max," he said. "He looks like a Max, doesn't he?"

"Oh, yes, that's perfect!" she gushed. "Max it is!"

The dog swung his head around in response and panted happily, while nudging Ariel in the leg, begging for a pat on the head. "Aww, he already knows his name!" she gushed.

"Well, um, we should probably be getting back to the castle before Grimsby and Carlotta get too flustered over our whereabouts," he stated reluctantly. "What do you say?"

"Yeah... You know, they're going to have a heart attack when they see us like this, _again_, Eric," Ariel giggled. "And you thought they had a fit the last time..."

"Oh, well, at least we have an excuse this time," he shrugged.

The two, plus Max trailing behind, then set off towards the castle.

However, Eric was known to be a man of many surprises, so when Ariel wasn't paying attention, he slipped his hand in hers, grinning contentedly as she laughed and beamed back at him in response, returning his firm grasp with her own. Max barked a few times, too, just for effect.

And, somehow, the two of them both knew that today really wasn't going to turn out to be all that bad after all.

... Right?

* * *

**Aww, that was such a classic Sierra/Sean scene. Couldn't you just see the two of them there or was it just me...? And yay for Max!  
**

**Okay, anyway, I _totally_ worked extra hard to get these two both out today. Although, these would've been up _hours_ earlier had a certain _someone_ shut up and left me alone. Plus, my mind is in a state of disarray, too, especially since I JUST bought my tickets for an upcoming Idina Menzel concert!! Yay me!  
**

**No, no, I won't rant anymore about either of those things here, but I'll have at it if you PM me. (:**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**

**P.S. I hope you guys enjoyed the Ariel/Eric fluff while it lasted. Things are about to get _really, seriously_ nasty in the next few chapters. ... Yeah, I'll leave it at that. **


	19. Distractions

**Hey, you guys! Do you still remember this story...?  
**

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 19  
** Chapter Title:** "Distractions"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

Andrina sighed and rolled over in her bed for the hundredth time that morning. She knew it was pretty early and she should have probably been sleeping at the time, but all she could manage to do was stare up at the coral patterns above her bed, deep in thought. It was just that, for some strange reason, she couldn't seem shake the feeling that something wasn't _quite _right.

Well, as of today, it had been three days since she had last seen her sister and she couldn't help but wonder how things were going on land with her and Eric. She could only hope and pray that they were having a wonderful time up there while her sisters did their best to cover for her at home.

Now, she knew that Ariel had only been gone for a couple of days, but how on Earth were the sisters supposed to keep feeding their father excuses? It had been nearly a week since he had last seen her and she could sense that he was becoming a little suspicious. And, come on, he was only going to go along with their excuses for so much longer. There would, indefinitely, come a time when he just wouldn't buy it anymore. Indeed, the truth of the matter was that time was running scarce for the sisters and their little lies. She had a feeling that the cold, hard truth would _have _to be exposed sooner or later to their father, no matter whether the sisters liked it or not. Unfortunately, she had a feeling that it was going to happen sometime very soon, which unsettled her even more.

Speaking of the truth, she had been feeling a little overwhelmed by the truth of _her _life at the moment.

Everything was wrong. Everything.

She was feeling things she wasn't supposed to be feeling and thinking absolutely horrendous thoughts. And she _knew _it was wrong and forbidden to feel the way she did, especially about their so-called "mortal enemy." He had hurt so many people, including one very near and dear to her, but she had still fallen head-over-fins in love with him and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

_This is what Ariel must've felt like, _she thought sadly. _Loving someone she thought she'd never have a chance with. _

Of course, Ariel got what... who... she wanted already, thanks in part to her and her other sisters, might she add. _I'm pretty sure I'll never get Him, though_, Andrina thought sadly. _He's too busy chasing after someone else. _

She gave an aggravated sigh and slid out from underneath her covers, knowing full-well that her attempts at catching some last-minute sleep were futile.

She headed out of the castle, unnoticed, and swam around for a little while, pondering what to do about her situation. As to be expected, nothing was open at this ungodly hour of the morning, but the peace and quiet of the still-sleeping city seemed to put her somewhat at ease, if that was even possible.

After wandering around for a while to clear her mind, she finally came to the conclusion that she needed some help from someone; someone who had been in her situation and understood what she was feeling. But who could possibly-?

_Oh, of course! _she thought, smacking her hand to her head._ Ariel!  
_

Excited and proud of her realization, she made her way to the city gates as fast as she possibly could, ecstatic at the prospect of talking to her sister again. Of course Ariel would help her! Her sister, of all people, would definitely understand what she was going through; she had no doubt about it, especially since Ariel had been in, and currently was in, that same situation herself.

"Oh, I'll show her," a nearby voice muttered under his breath, which caused Andrina to snap out of her thoughts and skid to a halt. She found her stomach somersaulting and her heart pounding a million miles a minute at the mere sound of his voice._ I'm as good as sunk,_ she thought dejectedly. _Look at me... swooning over the sound of his voice..._ She quickly and quietly scrambled to a hiding place behind a nearby building as she heard him steadily approaching. She silently hoped that he hadn't noticed her, which was, actually, more than likely.

"I'm just going to have to back to Ursula," he uttered quietly. "I'll turn into a human myself and use that potion stuff she gave me to turn the both of us back into mermaids. Oh, yes, she'll see. That'll teach her her lesson on turning into a human without my permission..."

Andrina felt her whole body begin to shake. _Who was he talking about? Not Ariel!  
_

"Ariel, you will be mine, make no mistake about it," he mumbled before wandering off.

_Wait, no, no, no, no!_ she thought, panicking. _We worked so hard to make her a human!_

Pure adrenaline pumping through her veins, Andrina stalked along behind the young man, her curiosity sparked. She darted from corner to corner, while doing her best to keep up with him and stay well-hidden. Although, she was almost positive that he wasn't going to notice considering that he was already grumbling to himself incoherently and really didn't seem to be paying to the slightest bit of attention to anything, or anyone, around him.

Soon enough, he had long passed by the gates to the city and was reaching the far outskirts of the city. She didn't think anyone would dare adventure this far away from the comfort of the city, taken into consideration that the place was dead and desolate and had seemingly no population; a place that would be perfect to hatch in evil plot in, if she did say so herself. Andrina couldn't help but also remark that, distance-wise, she had never been this far away from the castle before. _I wonder_ _how far away the surface is from here..._

Then, she heard him start speaking again, this time loud enough for her to hear. "U-Ursula?" he said tentatively, his voice wavering a little. "Ursula, I'm here and I'm r-ready."

Andrina could feel her stomach drop and her face pale considerably. _Ursula... Ursula... why does that sound familiar? _she racked her memory, trying to remember why that name seemed to ring a bell. _Oh, that's right! She's that one aunt bent on ruling the seven seas._

"This purple potion will turn you into a human for twenty-four hours. This other silver one will turn the both of you back into mermaids. Got it, sweet cheeks?" Ursula drawled, breaking the sister from her thoughts. Andrina could just see that evil woman, her signature diabolical smirk spread across her face. The mere thought of her sent a shiver down her spine, which was never a good sign.

"Okay, so let me get this strait. I drink this," he said. "To become a human for twenty-four hours. But this one," he paused again. "Is for the both of us to become a mermaids again? And all it takes is a single drop?"

"Yes, love, that should do the trick."

It was silent for a moment. Then, she heard a sigh and the small _pop_ of a cork being removed. There were a few moments of silence and when Andrina finally had the courage to look up again, she spotted a figure swimming up desperately towards the surface, already fully clothed and ready for the human world.

Andrina remained in her position, frozen in fear._ Oh, man, not good, not good, not good... I need to go warn the others... and Ariel, _she thought, her mind in a panic. She stumbled off, making her way back to castle as quickly as she possibly could, swimming back haphazardly through the city.

"Atina, wake up!" she shouted hastily, while shaking her sister's shoulders roughly. "Wake up! Please! We have a problem."

Atina rolled over and opened her eyes drowsily. "Mm?" she said groggily. "Can't it wait?"

"No! It can't!" she said desperately.

"Andrina-"

"It's about Ariel."

At the sound of her name, Atina shot straight up in bed. "What?! What about Ariel? Is something wrong? Is she okay?"

"Okay, so, I was wandering around town this morning and I c-came across J-Jordan..." Why was it whenever she said his name, her heart fluttered? _Focus, Andrina, focus, _she thought, shaking her head softly. "A-and he has always had this hab-habit of talking to himself, right? Well, he was doing just that-"

"Andrina, how exactly does this involve Ariel?"

"Wait! Wait for me to finish!" she snapped. "He's planning to turn Ariel back into a mermaid and drag her back down here himself! And he's already a human!" she said as calmly as she could possibly manage, but, instead, the statement had come out more panicked and flustered than she had intended.

"WHAT?!" Atina exclaimed incredulously. "How?"

"He mentioned something about some potion or something? I don't know exactly how it works, but Ursula helped him out, if that's saying anything."

"You mean our aunt? The evil sea witch?"

Andrina nodded her head furiously. "He only has 24 hours, but if he can find her in that time, she's going to be a mermaid again!"

"Well, we definitely need to stop him, then, don't we?" Atina said matter-a-factly, now pacing her room worriedly.

"But how?"

"I have no idea..." Atina said, defeated.

"Maybe we should go get the others?" Andrina suggested as Atina nodded her agreement.

About twenty minutes later, the other sisters had been shaken awake (some getting up easier than others) and were all now currently conferencing in Atina's room. They knew that every moment they spent discussing and making plans were precious; there was absolutely no time to lose considering that Jordan was probably already on the surface, figuring out how to work his human legs as they spoke.

"Why would Jordan do such a thing?" Allana inquired.

"It seems like something he'd have up his sleeve," Atina sneered.

"It makes me sick," Aquata spat. "But I'm not all too surprised."

"Guys, we need to focus," Andrina said meekly, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, Andrina is right, us just sitting around isn't going to help our sister," Adella agreed.

"Right! We need a plan," Arista added in agreement.

"Alright, well, first and foremost, we'll need to go warn Ariel. That's the big thing here," Atina said.

"How about we suggest that she goes into hiding until we can get things under control...?" Atina suggested.

"Wait, I don't think if we're talking about the same little sister here, you guys. Maybe it's just me, but the Ariel_ I_ know is never going to go into hiding," Aquata pointed out. "She'll want to fight right back at him."

"Well, be that as it may, she still needs to be warned beforehand," Atina responded. "And we're going to need Daddy's help since we obviously can't do this alone..."

And, at that, the sisters huddled together and began to figure out their plan of action.

* * *

**Alright, my wonderful readers and reviewers, here's the deal! I was on vacation last week and one day I had some inspiration. I sat down to get these ideas out and ended up writing the rest of this story. Yep, I wrote this and the other five chapters that are coming your way (sooner than you think!). So, with school being right around the corner, I've made the decision to just finish off this entire story. Today. Forgive me, it took a while to transfer to my computer and edit everything, but, yep, its finally finished. Done.**

**Wow, ****cool, huh?  
**

**But I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for not updating sooner. I could give you a big long list of excuses, but, long story short, I've been so busy and had a lack of inspiration for the past month, but at least now you get your compensation. Better late than never!  
**

**:)**

**Continue on, my readers...**

**_-_Dreaming Wide Awake**


	20. Seeing Reason

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 20  
** Chapter Title:** "Seeing Reason"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

Up on land, Ariel practically floated to her room as soon as she and Eric had gone their separate ways; Ariel to begin preparing for the ball, for it quite possibly could take all day to complete, and Eric to be sure all other preparations were properly taken care of.

When she reached her bedroom, she almost felt as if she was bursting with joy as she twirled giddily around her bedroom. She sighed dreamily and sat down on her bed, falling back onto her freshly-laundered covers, memories of moments earlier drifting back into her mind. She couldn't help but grin and roll over onto her side, where she then spotted her ball dress hanging up neatly on the wardrobe in the process. Indeed, the very same one that Eric had picked out for her yesterday.

_Was it only yesterday?_ She wondered incredulously. It was hard to believe that that had only happened a day ago; it almost felt a lifetime away taken into consideration all that had happened in a single day. She couldn't help but giggle as her mind wandered back to thoughts of Eric and his two failed attempts at kissing her. She was sure that he was just as frustrated as she was, but she had a feeling that real kiss was right around the was corner. She just knew that the past couple of days had all been building up to that moment.

Oh, right! Back to the dress... It was knee-length and pink, a color that beautifully complemented her eyes. Underneath the dress were brand-new pink heels, of which she had been given an extensive lesson on how to wear and how to walk gracefully in. She had yet to dance in them yet, but was sure she'd be okay after her dance lessons with Eric. Or she sure as well hoped so.

The night was truly shaping up to be perfect.

She pulled herself up from her bed just as there was a series of knocks on the door, signaling that the maids were ready for her. She had been told before-hand that they would assist her on the big day. She was sure she couldn't the huge task of ball preparation alone, so thank heavens for the impending assistance of the maids.

"Oh, Ariel, dear! You're going to look so marvelous today," a woman named Carlotta said, bustling into the room with some clothes and other things in her hands.

"I sure hope so," Ariel responded eagerly.

"I _know_ so," another maid, Alina, corrected her, setting additional supplies in front of the grand mirror in the bathroom and others on her bed, respectively.

"Soon, my dear, you'll be fit for a prince!" Carlotta winked, guiding Ariel by the shoulders to a nearby chair.

* * *

Setting the first stage of their plan in action, Adella and Atina cautiously peered around the corner into the entrance of the throne room, where their father was seated, filling out some paperwork. The two of them each took a deep breath to calm themselves and nodded in unison before setting off bravely to where their father was currently residing. The task in front of them had to be handled with care, but with implied urgency. Ease and tenderness, therefore, was key.

"Ah, Adella, Atina!" he greeted warmly, looking up from his work. "What do you want and how much will it cost?"

"That's a good one Daddy," Adella stated, wringing her hands together nervously. "But we don't want anything."

"That's certainly a first," he chuckled lightheartedly.

"Sorry to ruin the mood, Daddy, but this isn't exactly good news," Atina added.

"I see," he said. He then removed his reading glasses and folded his hands together in front of him. "Is this, perhaps, concerning Ariel, then?" he asked.

"What? How-?" Atina started, confused.

He grinned with a twinkle in his eye. "What is it, girls?"

"Okay, it's time to come clean, Daddy," Adella said with a deep breath. "We turned Ariel into a human with your trident," she admitted. Oddly enough, it felt good to be released of this secret. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders; something that was strangely comforting at the moment...

When Adella finally glanced back up at her father, she noticed that he was now ghostly pale-white and looked as if he had just had a heart-attack. "You did WHAT?" he bellowed.

"Yes, we turned her into a human," Atina repeated. "But that's not what's important right now. You can punish us later."

"But, Daddy, you have to understand, she's in love!" Adella continued, not giving her father a chance to butt in. "It was, is, a desperate circumstance. Um, think of it this way, have you ever loved anyone to the point where you'd do _anything_ for them? _Anything_?"

"No!" he snapped. "Never!"

"Not even Mom?" Atina tried quietly.

"W-well... that's different-" he stuttered, clearly taken aback.

"Dad, no, it's exactly the same. You would've done _anything_ for Mom, I know it! And I have no doubt that you did! So, we, in turn, did anything and everything we could for Ariel," Adella explained hastily.

"We're sorry, but we couldn't stand her being so miserable all the time, especially with Jordan and the engagement..." Atina said. "Which, might I add, was against her own will. He didn't even ask her first!"

"Girls," Triton sighed. "That was very thoughtful of you, but she doesn't belong up there. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go-"

"No, wait! That's the whole reason we came to see you!" Atina said quickly.

"Really?"

"Yes!" the girls said, exasperated. "Jordan is going to go turn her back into a mermaid! We can't let that happen, so we need _your_ help to stop him!"

"Stop him? Why would I stop him?" he asked, confused.

They shook their heads. "She can't be a mermaid again, Daddy! She'd be miserable the rest of her life," the two chorused.

"Girls-"

"If you loved her, you'd do this for her," Atina reasoned.

"Please! Have a heart..." Adella begged softly.

Triton looked at his two daughters wearily. He couldn't believe that they had turned his youngest daughter into a human right under his nose. They definitely got points for a well-kept secret. It hadn't even crossed his mind that they would've gone and transformed her with his own magic.

And Jordan hadn't really asked Ariel for her hand in marriage? Triton had been assured on numerous occasions that Jordan had asked her approval for the marriage first and was told she had agreed enthusiastically. Then again, whether he asked her or not it wouldn't really matter in the long run. If Triton and Neptune wanted their plans to join the kingdoms together to be successful, marriage, forced or not, would be a requirement...

However, if Jordan had lied about this engagement, what else had he been lying about? In that respect, was it _really_ such a smart idea to put the kingdom into the hands of a dishonest leader? Perhaps Jordan wasn't the charming young man that Triton had envisioned taking over his seat of power... Maybe he wasn't ready for the power and responsibility yet. So, that meant that was the end of that. Great, now he had a lot more business to take care of: calling off the wedding, severing the plans with Neptune...

For now, though, he resolved to go help Ariel, which would delight his other daughters when he told them in just a moment. He couldn't help but remember how he had yelled at her brutally when she had confessed her love for this human... he really did owed her one. Plus, he knew that when Ariel set her heart and mind on something, and in this case, someone, there was going to be no way to change her mind. On second thought, perhaps this was a sign that it was the time to try and make peace between land and sea; maybe his daughters were on to something, after all...

"She really does love that human, doesn't she?" he said finally with a sigh.

The two nodded vigorously. "More than _anything _in the world."

"Well then, I suppose that I will do everything that I can to help he rout," Triton said finally, giving into his daughter's pleas.

"Thank you so, so much Daddy. It means the world to us and to Ariel," Adella said, both her and Atina rushing forward to hug their father tightly. "Thank you," they whispered, thankful that they had successfully completed phase one of their plan.

* * *

"Why is it so damn bright up here?" Jordan grumbled, shielding his eyes from the brutal afternoon sun. He lay, exhausted, on the beach, trying to find some sort of energy in his body to get up, but was so far unsuccessful in finding any whatsoever. He had had no idea that it would take this long, one, to actually get himself to the surface and, two, to regroup and get going again. Changing species sure took a lot of energy out of a person.

First, though, he had to figure out what he was doing. It seemed like his first priority to figure out how to work these human legs of his. Then, he would find out where Ariel was. After that, it would be time to put his plan in place. Then again, how hard could it be to find her? She was practically attached to the hip with that Prince fellow, so all he needed was to be pointed in the direction of the castle. That in its own was an easy enough feat, considering he could spot a pretty castle-like building off in the distance already. He'd be willing to wager that that was it, but he'd check with the townspeople just to be sure.

After quite a few stumbles and face-first trips into the sand, Jordan had finally mastered the art of walking on two legs. He had always been one to catch onto things quickly, both on land and under the sea, apparently. _I don't see one reason why Ariel would willingly want to be a human after all this, either,_ he thought afterward moodily. _It's so much work!_

Standing steady, he kicked his way through the sand, grateful for once that Ursula had been kind enough to supply him with proper shoes. Upon closer examination, they almost looked like those leather boots he had taught Ariel about a lifetime ago. To think that she had been seeing that human the whole time she had been with him sent a angry tingle down his spine, almost making him want to be sick to his stomach. He thought that he had grabbed her attention with his trove of human stuff, that she would accept this master plan of becoming successor to the throne, but alas, no. He had clearly underestimated Ariel. Sure, she may have seemed quiet and innocent at first glance, but only time would reveal that she was just as fierce and stubborn as the fiery-red color of her hair.

Hearing the familiar chatter and buzz of a nearby village, Jordan picked up the pace and strode confidently into town. Everything around him seemed familiar as though he had seen it before, of which he had in a variety of books and such. He recognized everything from the fresh fruit and bread for sale in nearby wagons to the horse-driven carriages. Thank goodness he had studied the human world as extensively as he had, otherwise he would have been quite lost. He could only imagine what Ariel must've been thinking when she was up here, all alone and wandering around in the city, out of place and unsure of where to go next. But as he knew, she was lucky enough to cross the path of the prince and-

"Excuse me, ma'am, but would you be kind enough to point me in the direction of the castle?" Jordan inquired politely, shaking those _other_ thoughts away from his head.

The elderly woman he had asked smiled at him and answered, "It's just over that way, dearie. All you have to do is follow that cobblestone path over there and you'll find the entrance to the castle in no time," she said with a little laugh. "But I highly doubt you'll gain any access today, being the big ball and all."

"Pardon?" he said. _That _had caught his attention.

"Oh, the prince is hosting a grand ball today! Security is bound to be tighter than ever, especially since the Prince's future bride is most likely in that very ballroom. They wouldn't want anything to go wrong, you know," she said. "Goodness knows that manservant of his would have a heart attack right then and there if something did."

"Is there any way, then, I can get inside on such short notice?" he asked hopefully. "I have important business to tend to inside the castle," he explained, fingering the outline of the potion in his coat pocket.

"I highly doubt it, unless you want to climb through a window or use other unauthorized means. See. the ball is by invitation-only."

Jordan could feel his stomach sinking; _that _was an obstacle he had not anticipated, for the Prince hadn't been kind enough to mentioned mandatory invitations while he had been around Ariel. "Well, thank you, ma'am," he said her finally. "You have been of invaluable service."

Striding off towards the cobblestone path, one foot confidently in front of the other, gears turned around and round in his head as he pieced together his plan of action, which he would set into place later that evening. He could only hope and pray that it would go off without a hitch.

* * *

**Keep reading!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	21. The Grand Ball

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 21  
** Chapter Title:** "The Grand Ball"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

Quite a few hours later, Ariel was set and ready to go to the ball, which was, quite frankly, a small feat in itself. She already felt like she just run a marathon after all of this preparation, which was a hundred times more extravagant than she had ever experienced under the sea, and the ball hadn't even begun yet!

In that respect, all that time was well worth it. Ariel's vibrant red hair had been curled and assembled with care, pulled back at her crown and held in place with a small, but elegant, pink clip. In addition, some make-up had been applied in a small quantity to her face. Next, her dress had been put in place, hugging and showcasing her body in just the right places. And, finally, her pretty pink shoes were put in place, and just in time, too, for the clock had just struck six o'clock when everything was said and done.

And before she knew it, it was time to go downstairs and make her grand entrance at the ball. As she navigated her way around the castle, she couldn't _help_ but feeling some butterflies. But that was normal, right? _Everyone _got nervous about big events like this. It happened all the time... She was keeping her fingers crossed behind her back, too, wanting more than ever for Him to dance with her again tonight and for that long-over due kiss to come into play...

Shooed along by the maids, Ariel kept making her way to the grand staircase cautiously, having already memorized the main layout of the castle fairly well during her short stay. After a couple of turns and a couple flights of stairs later, she, at last, reached her destination. She nervously peered around the corner that led to the ballroom, checking to be sure that she was okay to make her grand entrance. She, of course, didn't want to attract a lot of attention, but she didn't want to go unnoticed after all the work she had put into her look. Was there a way to compromise the two, maybe?

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Wait a second, why was she worrying anyway? It suddenly crossed her mind that not one person knew her, or cared about her, and vise versa, except for Eric, of course. But that was okay. She had never really liked being the center of attention, anyway, which was actually quite unfortunate when you just happened to be a princess.

Finally, she felt was ready, both mentally and physically. She then stepped out to the stairs, taking a couple more deep breath in the process, desperately hoping with every fiber of her being that she was ready for all the night had to offer her.

* * *

Prince Eric sighed and continued his way around the ballroom, greeting and making small talk with his guests. However, as much as he tried, he just couldn't put his heart and soul into this ball because, well, it was just _so_ boring. Then again, _all _of the Grand Balls that he had ever attended had been boring (in his sole opinion, of course) and this one was absolutely no exception. Besides, he had yet to catch a glimpse of Ariel. Maybe if he could find her, things would be a little bit better...

"Prince Eric! Oh, you are looking quite charming tonight," a woman dressed in a hideous orange dress commented, breaking him from his thoughts.

Eric bowed and kissed her hand politely in reply, "You as well," he managed, even though he knew that he was lying through his teeth. "If you'll excuse me," he said with a nod before scurrying away quickly.

He sighed and made his way over to the refreshment table, his eyes scanning the food and drink there, which included, but was not limited to, cookies, cake, finger-food, some water, and punch. He then fished out the silver spoon out of the punch bowl and filled up his cup. Taking a sip, he gagged and immediately set down his cup back on the table. It turns out that that particular drink was absolutely disgusting. Choking down what was left in his mouth, he immediately wondered who had done this particular preparation. _Well, whoever it was wasn't doing their job very well_, he remarked bitterly.

He leaned back on the table and glanced at the scene around him, taking pride in the fact that he had done a marvelous job decorating the place, especially considering the events of the past couple of days. He had finally decided on an ocean theme for this ball, meaning that blue, black, and silver streamers of all colors hung from the walls, with the plates, cups, and other decorations matching accordingly. The whole thing was supposed to be making the allusion of the moon streaming down onto the ocean at night, one of his favorite sights in the world, but he didn't think anyone would take any special notice to it. Pity, since he worked so hard on it...

Moving on, he shifted his eyes to the grand staircase, watching a couple of arrivals. There was a stick-thin woman, arriving in a bright yellow dress and then a more heavy lady in a nicely fitting black and white polka-dotted dress. But then, a little redhead peered around the corner, drawing in his attention instantly. He squinted and realized almost immediately that that figure was Ariel, who became even more so apparent as she stepped into the light. He also knew it was her because he had yet to see another woman with a shade of hair the color of Ariel's. That was clearly the tell-tale sign.

He beamed, unbelievably happy that she had finally shown up. He then stood up straighter and eagerly made his way over to the staircase to greet her.

* * *

Ariel stepped off the final stair, anxiously looking around for Eric. She tugged at her dress nervously and managed a few steps around the main ballroom, smiling at some other people standing nearby. They payed her no mind, of course, being a nobody and all, but it was the thought that counts, right? It couldn't hurt to be a little polite.

"Ariel!" she heard a familiar voice cry out. She smiled and couldn't help but giggle as she saw Eric making - erm, pushing - his way through the crowd.

She laughed and crossed her arms across her chest, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. When he finally reached her, he could feel his breath catch in his throat. She looked absolutely magnificent!

"What? Why are you so quiet?" she asked anxiously, fidgeting with her dress and hair some more. "Do I have food in my teeth or something?"

"No," he laughed. "You just look..."

She watched on apprehensively as he searched for find the right word to describe her. She hoped and prayed silently that the response would be a good one... "You look absolutely wonderful," he finished, which, in turn, calmed down her nerves considerably. Her hard work had been worth it, then. Besides, if he was lying to her and she really looked hideous, it would be all _his _fault, anyway.

Hearing the orchestra begin to play some music, he cleared his throat subtly, hoping she would catch onto his hint. When he saw her nod her head slightly out of the corner of his eye, he bowed, just as he had earlier on the beach and asked her politely for a dance.

She felt the eyes on on-lookers swivel onto her and Eric. They, apparently, were suddenly very interested in who the prince was asking to dance first. Of course, she accepted his invitation enthusiastically and linked her arm with her own as he lead her to the center of the dance floor, smiling ear-to-ear the entire way there.

* * *

It was chilly outside the castle tonight, making Jordan instantly wish that he had asked Ursula or that little old lady for a heavier coat. True, it had been warmer earlier, but the night soon proved to be the exact opposite. But it was a necessary part of his plan that it be dark outside, obviously, so that no one would see him. That was a no-brainer right there.

Just as the old lady has mentioned, security was pretty tight, but only at the entrance of the castle. Once you got past the initial entry way, the guards and protection around the place thinned considerably. He had been lurking around in the shadows for the past half an hour or so and had yet to be discovered. He scanned the walls of the palace as he made his way around the outside edges of the castle, watching closely for a cracked window of some sort that, one, was open, two, he could reach, and, three, was big enough to pull himself through.

Finally, he found one, the only one that fit the above criteria. As he peered through to be sure the coast was clear, he discovered a quite empty hallway. As soon as he had gained access to the castle, he made such he looked presentable before continuing onwards. Wandering around for a bit, he finally bumped into someone official looking.

"Excuse me, sir, but I went off to use the restrooms and seem to have gotten quite lost. Can you be kind enough to point me back in the direction of the ballroom?" he asked kindly, hoping that this butler, or whoever he was, would buy his story.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course! That's quite understandable! This castle is very large and it _is _easy to get lost in. I've gotten misplaced a few times myself," the little man chuckled. "Ah, no worries, just follow me, young man, and we'll have you back in no time."

Jordan nodded and followed alongside the man, keeping up with his brisk pace. They arrived in the ballroom a few minutes later. After Jordan thanked the man for his help, he headed straight over to the punch bowl, pulling out the correct potion bottle at the same time. Pouring the rest of the contents into the cup, spare a couple of drops for himself, he smiled mischievously.

Phase two of his plan was complete.

* * *

Atina and her sisters swam as fast as they possibly could towards the surface, their father not too far behind them. In order to initiate phase two of their plan to help their sister, they decided to use their father's trident to turn two more of the sisters, plus Triton himself, into humans for a short time. Then, when they caught Jordan, Triton would use his trident, which would be disguised as a walking stick, to transform him back into a merman and send him back into an undisclosed place in Atlantica until further notice as subtly as he could possibly manage, of course. In the meantime, he had also successfully severed his plans with Neptune, who had been dismayed but understanding. "No one can say we didn't try," Neptune said solemnly with a sigh. When Triton had left him, he had been packing his bags and gathering his things together, getting ready to depart from the kingdom as soon as his son returned home.

Meanwhile, in the time after the two sisters, Adella and Atina, had convinced their father to do his part, they had figured out all _they _needed to do, therefore, finalizing their plan. Using a simple vision spell, they saw how Jordan was planning to spike Ariel's cup of punch (thank goodness he has that bad habit of talking out loud to himself, otherwise they would've never figured that part out!). They also knew where the castle was and, after watching him for a while, how exactly to get inside.

Unlike Jordan, however, their father had the power to conjure up a couple of fake invitations to the Grand Ball that Jordan and the old lady had mentioned, so that the sisters could get inside, one, without a big fuss and, two, without getting too lost. They assumed it'd be much easier to find the ballroom through the main entrance rather than appear randomly inside the castle. And at least that way they wouldn't draw a huge amount of attention to themselves, which was always a plus when you're working on an undercover type of mission.

Phase two of their plan was now officially in motion.

* * *

"Eric, this is so great!" Ariel said, tapping on his arm excitedly as the two of them twirled around the dance floor. She was aware that all eyes were on the two of them, but, at the moment, she could care less. The way she felt, it might as well have been just her and Eric dancing alone in that grand ballroom. "You did an amazing job setting it all up!"

He smiled and spun her around gently, "So, you like it, then?"

"Yeah, it's like the moon and the stars shining down on the sea at night-time."

"Ah, so you caught on to the theme, too. I'm glad someone else besides me noticed," he said with a small sigh. "Nobody else is paying any mind to it..."

"That's too bad," she said sincerely. "But, um, listen, I just wanted to thank you. A lot."

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"Well, you know, for everything," she shrugged. "You've put up with me the past couple of days and have been unbelievable patient with me and my memory, or lack thereof, rather. It just... it means a lot."

"Ariel, I'd do anything for you," he said, stopping their dance. He then moved his arms up to grasp her shoulders tightly. "Haven't you figured that out yet?"

She smiled and nodded, "Tell me, what did I ever do to deserve someone as wonderful as you?"

"I often wonder that myself," he responded as she warmly smiled back.

Instantaneously, he knew that this was his moment. There were no boats to fall out of and no dogs to distract them this time. It was just him and her. No one else mattered.

He began to lean in nearer to her, his eyes slowly closing. Ariel's heart jumped up into her throat as she caught the hint, tilting her head slightly. He was so close to closing the gap between their lips-

"Eric! Oh, Prince Eric!" Grimsby's voice exclaimed excitedly nearby, causing both Ariel's and Eric's eyes to shoot open. "Come here this instant!"

Ariel pulled back away from him slightly and bit down on her lip nervously as she watched a shadow of disappointment cross his face. _Poor guy,_ she thought sadly._ Maybe next time...  
_

"I'll be right back," he muttered before stomping away, frustrated, leaving her alone in the middle of the dance floor. He couldn't even believe his luck! He now had three failed attempts and counting. He didn't even want to think about how many more times it would it take him before he'd finally get it right. He'd for sure kiss her next time. Yes, definitely next time...

Ariel trailed off after him, but made a detour towards the refreshment table instead. She _was _a bit hot from all that dancing and sure could use a refresher right about now...

* * *

Atina and Adella, their father trailing along closely behind them, were now pushing the limits of their new human legs, running as fast as they humanely could, for they knew that time was ticking against them. Panting heavily, they sprinted up the cobblestone driveway of the castle and successfully made it passed the guards checking invitations.

Bursting through the doors to the ballroom, Adella suddenly skidded to a halt and held her arm out to stop the others.

"What?" Atina whispered. "Why'd you do-"

Adella shook her head to cut her off and nodded her head in the direction of the a couple dancing in the middle of the ballroom. When Atina squinted to get a better look, she noticed that the woman possessing unmistakable vibrant red hair, a sure sign that that was her sister, was dancing with Eric and, seemingly, having a good time. "Let her have a moment," Adella murmured with a small smile on her face. "We don't need to step in just yet."

"Okay, fine, but where's Jordan?" Atina asked. "If we can find him before he finds her, we can just leave her alone all together."

"Yeah, easier said than done," Adella sighed. Atina then tapped her sister again and motioned her to look to the couple again, where the two were now on the verge of a kiss. Atina glanced back at her father to see his reaction and was glad to see that a smile was tugging at his lips and that he didn't appear angry in the slightest. _What a relief,_ she thought. _I'd rather see that than boiling anger._

"See, Daddy? We told you so," Adella said. "She really _loves _him."

Then, the three set off to search the ballroom and its guests for any sign of the evil demon (aka Jordan) before it was too late to stop him all together.

* * *

Sensing that this was his moment to complete the final phase of his plan, Jordan rushed forward, having spotted Ariel heading towards the punch table. He crossed his fingers behind his back that, because of the dim lights in this particular room, she wouldn't easily recognize him. With his cup of punch in hand, he strode over to where she was, while reaching forward to tap her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss? After all that dancing, you're looking pretty thirsty. Perhaps a drink of cool punch will help out," he suggested with a smirk, motioning to the cup. Thank goodness he could pull of a foreign accent decently...

"Oh, thank you for your kind thought, but I was really rather looking for some water instead," she explained, unfazed.

"But I insist," Jordan argued, catching her arm to stop her from walking away. "What will it hurt?"

"No," she refused, standing her ground. "Thank you, though," she said before snagging her arm back away from him.

Jordan seethed in anger; she hadn't changed one bit since the last time he had been with her. She was still so stubborn, so headstrong! Oh, the nerve of her...

"JUST DO IT!!" he bellowed, agitated. He hadn't intended to lose his cool so quickly, but it was necessary, especially because time was running out quickly. "Just take one sip... that's all it will take..."

"Fine, fine, okay," she said, giving into the peer pressure the other person had created. "No need to get all hot-headed. It's just a cup of punch. "

She eyed him with a mix of suspicion and curiosity before raising the cup up to her mouth... _How much harm could a little cup of punch do, after all?_

"No! Ariel, don't do it!" Atina and Adella shouted out at the same time, running towards their sister as fast as they possibly could. "NO!!"

But it was too late.

Ariel had already swallowed a sip of the punch, to the sheer delight of the man opposite her. And that fatal sip of punch was all it took to initiate the transformation. Ariel's eyes went wide with panic and she dropped the cup, which shattered to pieces, in her wake. A blue-green glow then suddenly enveloped her and she screamed in sheer horror and shock. Audible gasps be heard around the ballroom as she cried out in pain and slumped to the ground.

King Triton, sensing that this was his opportune moment, swiftly waved his walking-stick-turned-trident, causing the scene the freeze completely. No one moved, no one talked, no one even breathed with the exception of the sea king, Adella, Atina, and Ariel.

"You couldn't have done that sooner?" Atina asked through gritted teeth as she rushed forward towards her sister.

"Well, I would've, but I wasn't close enough to cast it effectively. If I would've done it any other time, Jordan would've been immune to it. No, no don't ask why," he continued with a shake of his head. "The magic of the trident works in mysterious ways of which no one fully understands nor completely knows how to control."

With another flourish of his trident, Jordan, with his trademark smirk plastered across his face, completely vanished from thin air and presumably to where they had previously planned for him to go after they'd caught him. Ariel then cried out in pain, reminding the three that she was still there. She was now visibly in the middle stages of transformation between a mermaid and human. With a sweep, she was put out of her misery, having slipped into unconsciousness. With Adella and Atina to support her still-morphing body, Triton sent them back down under the sea (all three mermaids again), where they promised to get Ariel proper care at the local hospital.

With a couple more sweeps, he modified the memories of all the attendees, so that all they would remember was having a wonderful time at the ball. He glanced over his shoulder to be sure he didn't miss anybody when he spotted the man Ariel was so in love with, visibly arguing with a man who looked about three times his age. _That seems familiar,_ he thought with a chuckle. He could feel his happiness draining away as he thought some more about the young man, for he would have no clue what happened and why Ariel was no longer a human, which, coming from experience, would, most likely, drive him insane. Leaning down next to his ear, he whispered, _Ariel has gone for now, but not for long. Please do not go looking for her, son, for you will only be unsuccessful, _Triton sighed and continued on. _Do not fret, in due time, the two of you will, indeed, be reunited. _

He nodded approvingly and waved his trident once more so that everything un-froze. Satisfied with his work, he disappeared from sight as a merman again with a small _pop_, leaving the rest of the guests at the ball to finish their night in peace.

* * *

**Keep going!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	22. The Charm

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 22  
** Chapter Title:** "The Charm"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

When she finally woke up, hours later, her body ached all over. It was insane, unreal, how much excruciating pain she was in. She couldn't even remember the last time she had hurt so badly in all her life.

When she finally gathered together enough energy to move somewhat, she peeled open her eyelids ever so slightly. She was then met with the sight of what looked like a hospital room. She was lying in her own private room in a single bed, but it was neither her room in Eric's castle nor was it her bedroom in her family's castle, either. Here, the dull, drab color of the wallpaper and coinciding paint added to the dismal, depressing mood of the room. There were also plain white curtains pulled over a window, which dimmed the room considerably, making her think it was sometime later at night, or very early in the morning.

Then, she blinked a couple of times, confused. Now that her eyes were now fully adjusted, she felt the normal sensation of... being back underwater again? Her eyes were moister than they had been up on the surface and she could physically feel the pressure of the water around her. Take it from her, it was nothing like the feel of plain old human air. Wait a minute, that could only mean that... oh, no! She sat up as quickly as her body would possibly allow and pulled the covers back.

She felt her stomach sink as she saw not feet, not knees, not human legs, but a pair mermaid fins waving back at her. She felt a few tears slip down her cheek as she watched it flip back and forth, taunting her beyond belief. How could _that _have happened? She had worked _so _hard to get that fin and she ended up a mermaid again...? What had happened, anyway?

"Where am I?" she groaned weakly, still not completely comprehending her situation. She figured it must've been some bad dream, a nightmare, or something. She couldn't possibly be a mermaid again. She couldn't! She was probably just sleeping and would wake up any moment and join Eric in the dining hall for breakfast and they'd talk about how much fun the ball was and-

"You're at Atlantica General Hospital," she heard a gentle female voice answer.

She could feel her heart sink to her knees- um, flippers. So she really _was_ back under the sea... back home... where she belonged... not with Eric... Eric...

"How am I doing, then?" she asked again, her voice trembling. Fearing for the worst, she couldn't even bring herself to look at the nurse tending to her.

"Well, sweetie, you're going to be just fine, if that's what you mean. The potion you drank only left a few lasting effects, but you'll be up and swimming in no time," she explained.

"Potion?" she asked, confused. "You mean the-"

"Punch? Yes, it was spiked, poisoned, with the very potion in it that turned you back into a mermaid."

Ariel closed her eyes again, feeling a couple more tears slide down her cheeks. She knew that something was up with that punch and the man who had offered it to her. "Wait a minute," she said suddenly. "What lasting effects?"

"Listen, child, you've already had a long day and I wouldn't want you to stress yourself out any more than you already have. I'll tell you when you're in a more fit state of mind, okay?" the nurse said.

Ariel's head snapped over to the nurse, who happened to be a tall, pretty brunette lady, "Listen here, I can handle whatever it is you have to say. I'm bound to find out sooner or later, anyway!" she argued.

"No."

"Please?" she begged. "Have a heart..."

The nurse sighed and pulled up a chair next to the young woman's bed. "Brace yourself, kid. And don't say I didn't warn you."

Ariel nodded hastily as the woman continued, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that potion you drank was a component of some serious dark, black magic. In that respect, after further analysis from a sample of the stuff from your blood stream, I'm very, very sorry to tell you that its effects are permanent and, unfortunately, irreversible."

"E-Excuse me? I-I don't think I understand," Ariel said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You can never and will never be a human or any other species out there again," the nurse said slowly. "You're stuck with that fin the rest of your life. No more changing into sharks or humans or any other species again. I'm really, really sorry, dear."

Ariel just stared at her as if she had just been slapped in the face. _What?!_ "A-Are you sure?"

"I'm completely positive," the nurse said. Ariel, her stomach quickly sinking, searched the nurse's desperately for some sort of clue that she was just kidding, just messing around with her. She waited, speechless, for someone to cry out "APRIL FOOLS!" and then, afterward, surely they'd all look back and laugh about it.

Seeing that the young woman needed some time by herself, the nurse got up and swam away, closing the door behind her quietly.

And it all hit her like brick. She cried and cried until she was sure there were no more tears left in her body. She would never and could never return with Eric up in the human world, after she had worked so hard for everything._ I'm so sorry, Eric_, she thought. _Now I'll never be part of your world..._

And who, who in the deep blue sea would be out to ruin her, destroy her life like this? Who would want to crush her, shatter her life and all she loved?

_Jordan_, she thought immediately, her sorrow draining into seething anger. In her moment of rage, she didn't even realize that she had remembered someone she couldn't remember a couple of days ago.

"My memory is back..." she whispered, awe-struck. "Oh my goodness, it's back!"

And she was joyous for a moment and recited things she didn't remember only days ago in her head. She remembered every last tidbit of her relationship with Eric and the events that took place before, during, and after it. But her happiness, unfortunately, didn't last for long. She couldn't help but gaze down at her mermaid tail again, causing some more tears began to well up in her eyes even though it felt as if she had cried enough for a lifetime.

But she couldn't help but wonder: what was she supposed to do now?

* * *

The rest of the night at the ball passed on without a hitch.

The morning after the fact, Prince Eric woke up in a daze, unsure of _exactly_ what had happened the night before. All he knew was that he had come upstairs immediately after the ball and passed out instantly into a dreamless sleep the moment his head hit the pillows. He couldn't help but thinking that something fishy was definitely going on...

And as he lay in bed the next morning, staring up at the patterns in the ceiling, deep in thought, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened and where Ariel had gone. He had heard a voice in his head, apparently, as he was fighting with Grimsby about meeting some eligible ladies (what part of "I'm not interested!" did he not understand?!) that warned him not to go after her. How could he _not _go looking for her, though? He wanted to know where she was, if she was okay. But just as the voice had said, he would be unsuccessful, and, indeed, he was. She was nowhere to be found. She was not in the ballroom, nor anywhere else in the castle. He even considered organizing a kingdom-wide search for her, but he could feel beforehand that it would only be futile.

No, he couldn't explain it, but there was some part of him, a little reassurance inside his head, that was telling him she was, in fact, fine and that searching for her would only be useless, unnecessary, a waste of his time and efforts. He also knew with all his heart that she wasn't going to forget about him, she wouldn't just desert him after all they had been through. It was just a matter of time until she'd come back for him. Given enough time, she _would _definitely find a way back to him. That he knew without a doubt.

For the time being, then, he just had to have a little patience. He'd waited for her plenty of times before, so this time was no different. It was just making it through the brutal period of waiting time that was so difficult. Bar none, he'd wait a lifetime for her if that's what it took. He'd do anything for her...

But that was all easier said than done, though.

* * *

After a week or so of recovery in the hospital, Ariel was cleared to leave. A couple of times, when the nurses and doctors weren't looking, Triton and her sisters, individually, of course, had tried to transform her into a human again with the trident and with dozens of potions, but were all unsuccessful. Ariel now knew that all her hopes of becoming a human again _were _really false hope, but it didn't hurt to try, right? And try as they might, they all ended up nothing. Funny, those doctors really _did _seem to know what they were talking about.

But in her time in the hospital, Ariel had had a lot of time to think, what between waiting to be tested and those long nights when she just couldn't quite seem to fall asleep. In that time, she had come to terms with her fate. She realized that she could cry and be depressed about being confined a mermaid all she wanted, but it still wouldn't change anything. Crying wasn't going solve her problems and make her human again. Nothing would and nothing could. So, she decided that she might as well raise her head up and be proud to be a mermaid. And she knew that there were many people out there who had it worse off than she did, people who, for example, probably would never leave their room in the hospital again.

Nonetheless, she was merely grateful to be in good health, to have a family who supported her, and a man who, even though was not the same species as she, loved her. And, honestly, who could ask for anything more?

The next day was the big day. THE big day. With her father's permission and his personal accompaniment, she began to make the oh so familiar journey to the surface, silently calling Eric out to the beach. She knew that he would know to come just as she reached the surface, so the time she spent waiting would be minimal. As a side note, she had decided to take her father with her just so he could really see how kind and caring this man, the man that she loved, really was. And also in case she needed him for some reason or another. She'd rather be safe than sorry.

Hearing the familiar sound of a pair of approaching feet in the sand, she signaled for her father to stay hidden behind the rock, while she continued to swim forward. Making herself known to Eric, who had had his head down and hands shoved in his pockets, she watched happily as a mixture of surprise, relief, and happiness spread across his face. He sprinted towards her and, unable to contain his joy, swept her up into his arms and spun her around in circles, just as he had done before so, so many months ago, much to her sheer delight.

When he finally set her down, he was obviously speechless.

"I thought I'd lost you forever," he said before hugging her tightly again. "But I knew you were okay."

"Did you really?" she asked with a giggle. "Oh, and, by the way, I have my memory back."

"That's great!" he exclaimed. "Really great..." he trailed off. "And you're a-a-"

"A mermaid again? Yeah. I'm afraid that I'm that way permanently now."

He furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

"It's a long story, but I'll explain later, okay?"

He smiled and nodded to signal he understood. Seizing the moment he quickly, before anything else could possibly get in his way, he did what he had been trying to do for so long. Before she knew what was coming at her, Eric crashed his lips onto hers. She happily obliged and melted into the kiss, especially because it felt so long overdue. But, oddly enough, it seemed worth the wait. And they continued on, more passionately this time as she snaked her arms around his neck and he rested his arms around her waist.

The two then broke apart, moments later, only because they were both in desperate need for air.

"Willyoumarryme?" Eric said breathlessly.

Ariel recoiled slightly in shock. _Did he say what I think he just said?_ she wondered. "Huh?"

"Will you... marry me?" He repeated, slower and more sincerely. "Make me the happiest, luckiest guy on Earth?"

_Pinch me now I must be dreaming! _she thought giddily. "Oh, Eric, you know that I-I really, really want to, but I-I'm not even your species!" she exclaimed. "I-"

He put a finger to her lips. "We'll figure out some way to make it work. I promise. I mean, I couldn't imagine my life without you and I never _want_ to be with out you... So, what do you say?"

"Yes!" she burst out, smiling from ear to ear. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" she repeated excitedly. "Oh, and, let me say that I'm so glad you finally kissed me," she added smugly. "I really thought I'd never see the day."

Eric pulled her in closer to him, if that was even possible, and grinned boyishly. "Well, the fourth time's the charm, right?"

"Yeah. Right," she laughed before closing in on his lips one more time.

* * *

**Only one chapter more to go!**

**-Dreaming Wide Awake**


	23. For Good

**Basic Story Info.**

** Story Title**: _Where I Belong_  
** Chapter Number**: 23  
** Chapter Title:** "For Good"  
** Pairing**: Ariel/Eric  
** Rating**: T (Just in case!)  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, as always.

* * *

Just as Eric had promised, he and Ariel were, in fact, able to figure out something in order to organize the marriage between the two of them. Well, technically, the whole thing hadn't been Eric's idea in the first place, but at least he was willing to be flexible and, at the same time, fulfill his promise to Ariel in the end. He also executed his role in their plan quite nicely.

See, when Ariel's father had accompanied her to the surface and witnessed the proposal, he had been struck with a brilliant idea. If Ariel couldn't become a human to marry Eric, then, if it could be arranged, Eric could just as easily become a member of the mer-community to wed Ariel. Simple, right? It could be explained to the people of the mer-kingdom that he was foreign, from a city far, far away, and had courted his daughter in secret for many months now, which, actually, wasn't far from the truth. Plus, Eric's absence could be explained to his people by a made-up story in which he was going off on an exclusive and extensive tour of the world and would not be back for many, many years to say the least. Someone else would be found to take over the crown in the meantime. That way Eric would not have to worry about the going-ons up on land.

A couple of months later, things began to calm down, but only slightly. Plans had been made and set forth and, in the meantime, Eric had made his transformation into a merman, of which he adjusted to quickly. If she hadn't known any better, Ariel would have thought that he must've been a merman in one of his past lives, or something, because of how easily and naturally being a mer-folk came to him. To her immense relief, the people of Atlantica warmly accepted their new citizen and really came to like him in due time.

Life continued to be busy under the sea and the entire kingdom of Atlantica seemingly could not wait any longer to see Triton's youngest daughter be wed in the most extravagant and most talked about event of the year in which the entire population, of course, was invited. Well, all except for Jordan, if you could even count him as a member of the kingdom. Speaking of which, after confessing her love for the evil little devil to her sisters, Andrina finally came to her senses and realized that he really wasn't all that she thought he was and moved on fairly easily and quickly. She's now steadily dating a nice young merman named Justin and the two of them just might have some wedding bells of their own ringing in their near future, too.

Flash forward another couple of months: it's their wedding day. Ariel, as any bride would be, waited nervously for the ceremony to start. It wasn't everyday that a girl got married to her true love, after all. And she had little to fret, for her standard white, beautiful wedding dress had been picked out and fitted to her body perfectly, her bridesmaids and groomsmen had been selected and clothed to match the theme of the wedding, and, among other things, the catering and flowers had been delivered without a singly mistake... so far, so good. She crossed her fingers that everything would continue to run smoothly. And pretty much all she had to do was survive the trip down the isle and she'd be set to go.

Minutes later, as she made that fateful swim down the isle, the swim that would change her entire life, she began to feel silly for being so worried about today. If something went wrong, well, so be it then. She and Eric would deal with it just as they did everything else. In that respect, all her worries seemed to melt away as she locked eyes with Eric. She was proud to report, after the fact, that the two of them successfully made it through the ceremony in one piece. Later on, as the night progressed, she didn't even know why she had worried so much in the first place because everything, right down to seating arrangements, went off smoothly and perfectly; truly without a single hitch. They could only be so lucky, right?

Toasts had been made and gifts organized and the bride and groom had shared their first dance, and, as soon as it had begun, the wedding and its accompanying reception were over with.

The next day, after saying their goodbyes, Eric and Ariel set off for their honeymoon, cheered on for miles by citizens who had lined the streets in order to see the newlyweds off. Little did they know, that two and a half week vacation would mark the beginning of a wonderful family. And, sure enough, a month later, she announced her pregnancy. Nine months later, their pride and joy, their beautiful baby girl, the one they named Melody, came along. People gathered in the royal square for hours before and after the birth just to get a glimpse of the newest member of the royal family. And they were not disappointed in what they saw. She was presented late at night, on her birthday, Friday, April 28, to her people and her mother and father couldn't have been any happier. Eric could only describe his wife as "simply glowing" that day. A couple years later, in the middle of August, they welcomed another baby, this time a boy they named Sean, into the world.

Years later, Ariel truly couldn't have been happier with her fairy tale ending, which was still unfolding right before her very eyes. Her life was still full of thrills and never ceased to surprise her, especially with her children growing older by the second and their imaginations, as well as the kids themselves, boucing off the walls. Honestly, she owed most of her happiness to her love, Eric, for he had changed her life in all the ways a life can be changed. He had smitten her, intrigued her, cared for her, given her company and hospitality, among many other countless things.

In the time they spent together, for now and forever more, he showed her right where she belonged, which was right there with him, beside him. He helped her find her place in the world. But all she _really _needed a push in the right direction to get herself going and he was _just _the person to help her get her life back on track.

Now, whether or not he had changed her for the better or for the worse, she did not know. But she knew, for sure, that he had changed her for good. And, for that, she would be eternally grateful.

* * *

**Well, there you have it! We find out that the ending of the movie/Broadway musical and my version of _TLM _aren't all _that _different, after all. Well... kind of. It was just a different path Ariel/Eric traveled to get there to the end. Yes, it quite different, indeed, wasn't it? But wow! It's over! I can't even believe it, can you? This story has been my baby for the past... six months-ish. Almost half a year! Wow, wow, wow!**

**Anyhoo, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your reviews (over one hundred and counting!). It means so much to me! Thank you for sticking with me through the thick and thin and just know that I probably wouldn't be here if not for you all and your wonderful encouragement. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't even begin tell you that enough!**

**And so concludes this story. I am still working on _Love Sneaks In_ so watch out for that in the near future!**

**Alright, well, that's all for now, folks! **

**:)**

**Au Revior,  
Dreaming Wide Awake**


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